


The Unwelcome Stray

by lululandd



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-20
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-20 06:36:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12427020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lululandd/pseuds/lululandd
Summary: What happens when Will Graham founds 2 strays instead of 1.





	1. Hello There

Will Graham was driving home from the Elise case in Duluth, Minnesota when he saw him for the first time, running on the side of the street. He didn't realise now, that meeting this dog would change his life.

He saw him, running on the side of the street with his leash still on him. He stopped, trying to get closer to him, but the dog rejected him, running behind his car, making him sigh as he got back in his car. The second time he stopped, the dog responds, but it directed him to the bushes as he was trying to get the dog into his car.

"What's the matter?" He said, offering the dog another piece of sausage that he has in the back of his car. "Do you want to show me something?"

The dog seemed to bark at a shrub, ducking under it, and trying to pull something out from it. The dog whined, making the thing the he was pulling groaned in annoyance.

It's a dog's trying to pull a girl from under the shrub. Will thought to himself. "Hello? Can i help you?" He crouched down and separated the shrub to help the girl.

The girl groaned once more, pushing the dog away from herself, "Ouch Winston that hurts." She said, in a dry voice. The dog seems to understand what she said, because he instantly stopped trying to drag her out, and got out of the shrubbery.

Will Graham couldn't see the girl very clearly, but he could smell her. Ugh, she hasnt bathed in days, maybe weeks. He grabbed her, "I'm trying to help. What i will do next might hurt a bit, but please cooperate. I'm trying to get you out"

The girl groaned understandingly, wheezing as he pulled her up. He then carried her back to his car, but as he was trying to put her in the front seat, the girl shook her head, and pointed at the rear of his car.

The dog followed, and lied down on top of her. Will smiled at the sight of the dog being so loyal to it's owner, and closed the door.

"Is there an address that i can drive you to?" He asked, as he was driving. He thought about going to the police, since the girl didnt seem to have any id on her, but then changed his mind. There was something odd about her being alone with her dog in the dead of night, like she was trying not to be found.

The girl wheezed and then coughed, "No." The dog whined a few times. "And dont take me to the hospital either. Please."

"Why?" He asked suspiciously

"I dont like hospitals, and i'm not injured. Just—tired."

Will glanced at the rear view mirror. The dog is worried. "I'm taking you to my house, to freshen up."

The girl laughed a wheezy and dry laugh, "That's a polite way to say that i am in desperate need of a shower" The girl had a british accent.

He unwillingly smiled, "You're english?" The girl didn't respond.

When they got home, the girl founds the strength to walk a few paces, and then falls down. He helped her walk to the front yard and then sat her down on the porch.

"When was the last time you ate?" Will asked her, taking off his jacket.

She looked at him in a frightened way, and she looked like she was trying to runaway. Will understood what she was thinking, and stepped a few steps back from her, making her look at him.

Their eyes met. Never in his life has Will saw eyes as silvery and as dead as hers. "I know what you're thinking, but i'm not what you think i am. I'm with the FBI" He said, showing his work ID card.

She nodded weakly a few times, but Will could see that she was still a bit frightened. "What about i show you the bathroom? I'll lend you my clothes." He waited for a response, and when she nodded, he helped her walk into his house.

Will's dogs greeted her like she was their old friend as they walked towards upstairs. They barked, wagged their tails, sniffed, and pawed her legs. She lets out a wheezy laugh, "You have too much dogs, Mister"

He leads her to the bathroom, and instructed her to wait there as he go get her change. He grabbed a pair of pyjamas that he never wore, a stripy blue one, and a checkered green one.

When he got back from his quick trip to his room, he saw that Mackenzie, his multicolored Border Collie Mix was upstairs, and was sitting infront of the door, as if protecting her. Will frowned and opened the door, handing her the pyjamas. "When you're done, i'll be downstairs." He said shortly.

He went downstairs, and opened the front door to see that the girl's dog was sitting at the yard, looking at the 2nd floor, as if he was protecting his master. Will Graham shook his head, took out a bucket and started to fill it with water. To his surprise, the dog seemed to understand what he was doing, and walked into the water.

"i gotta know her secret to dog training." He said, as he washed the dog. The girl finished her bath as he was drying the dog. Will couldnt help but look up to see what she looked like with her face all clean. He regretted the decision immediately.

She crouched down next to her, helping Will Graham with the drying. "His name is Winston, and my name is Eve" She told him in a less drier voice than before. "I'm Will" and he added awkwardly, "Why did you name it Winston?"

She lets out a wheezy laugh, "I didnt, he chose it himself. Wouldnt wanna be called anything else." Will laughed condescendingly, "wished i knew what the rest of my dogs wants to be called."

She eyed him for a moment, making him a bit uncomfortable, like he was being judged, or analysed. "You rarely make eye contact. Do you think i am unpleasant?"

He finished drying Winston as she said that, and he stood up, "Eyes are distracting." he remarked, looking at her dead in they eyes, "See too much, don't see enough. And it's hard to focus when you're thinking, umm, are those whites really white or, she must have hepatitis, or, is that a burst vein?"

She brought her hands to her face and then her stomach, "I have a burst vein? I have hepatitis? I thought i have lung problems"

He snorted, "No, no, and a lung problem is a possibility"

She laughed again, "You're funny." There was silence for a few moments when her stomach broke the silence by growling. She puts her hand on her stomach and looked apologisingly to Will.

He snorted again, "There's a diner near by. I think you havent had a decent meal in forever" This statement made his guest raise an eyebrow and look at him distrustingly.

Seeing that she wasnt moving, he added, "I analysed you. I'm sorry." She smiled and then she stood up, holding her pyjamas, "We're going to a diner with me dressed like this?"

He chuckled, "It's 3 AM, i dont think the waiter and waitresses even mind if you came in with a banana suit. It'll make their night worthwhile."

She shrugged, "Makes sense." and walked to his car barefoot. She shouted from the distance, "Can i sit on the front seat now?"

He grabbed his jacket and went in, "Where else would you sit?"

...

...

"I'll have burger and fries please. And water. A big glass of water." She said, without looking at the menu.

The waiter waited for Will, who ordered 2 hashbrowns, 2 pasties, and also a glass of water. She tilted her head at him, and frowned, "If i can read you correctly, those two things that you ordered are this diner's special, and you ordered 2 for yourself, and 2 for me."

He raised an eyebrow, "You analysed me like a pro."

"No I didn't, I analysed the situation" She said, looking out the window.

He leaned forward, "So, what's your story?"

She looked at him for a moment, and then looked back outside, "try guessing."

He looked at her, and thought for quite a while. He was still thinking when the waiter came with 2 glasses of water, which she immediately drank and asks for more.

"You ran away from home" He said, after the waiter came back with her refill.

She drank half of it, cleared her throat, and grabbed a bottle of ketchup to play with, "That obvious?"

He nodded. "What else can you see in me?" She asked.

"Are you sure you want to hear this?"

She nodded, and for the first time, in excitement. Maybe the water has refreshed her,or maybe she just wanted to her what she's like from a complete stranger.

"You seem to come from a wealthy family."

"You dont know that."

"Either you were brought up from a wealthy family, or your parents raised you really really well."

She snorted, "What else?"

"You're a very excellent dog trainer."

She laughed, "Nah, Winston's an excellent dog. I know nothing about training a dog. What else?"

Will frowned, "i'm sorry to say this, but it looks like you were, or were almost violated."

She gave a weak smile, while still playing with her ketchup bottle, "Almost. It was the scared look i gave you when you took your jacket off that gave it away, didnt it?"

Will nodded, he was doing to say something, when the food comes.

"Bon appetit!" She exclamated, and dug into her burger. Will watched her ate like she hasn't eaten in days, and he offered her another meal when she finished the hashbrown and the pasty.

She shook her head, "You are very kind, Mr Will Graham. Thankyou."

...

...

"You can sleep on the bed, i'll sleep on the couch downstairs." Will told her, taking a blanket out from the cupboard.

"Are you mad, sir? It's supposed to be the other way around."

"Hey, i've slept in a bed all my life, and from the stiffness of your walking, i reckon you've been sleeping on the ground for weeks now."

She sighed, taking the blanket from Will's hand, walking out of the room, and Will can hear her walking downstairs, "It's been years actually."

Will Graham dreamt of Elise that night. He woke up with cold sweat trickling down his whole body. He laid a towel on his bed and changed his shirt.

The next morning he woke up to see that his dogs arent in the room anymore, and his bedroom door wasnt locked. He shot up from his bed, hearing barking and laughing outside. So he went to the window and looked at his yard below. His guest, Eve was playing with his dogs.

He brushed his teeth, washed his face, and went downstairs. When he got to the front door, he watched them play for a while before actually going outside.

"How did you get them out?" He asked, putting his hands in his bath robe pocket.

She smiled at him, "Good Morning, i-uhh, used a hairpin."

He walked towards her, "That was kinda rude, dont you think?"

She shrugged, "Hey i didnt steal anything, and your dogs were whining. So i feel obliged to let them out."

He looked at his dogs, "They seem to be in very good hands."

She smiled, "i taught them a trick! Do you perhaps want to see it?"

He walked backwards, "Sure."

She lined them up with 2 claps, and she made a gun out of her hands, and she shot them one by one while they 'died' in order. Will Graham laughed, as Mackenzie and Leia had to be shot four times before they 'died'.

"Neat trick" He said, clapping his hands. "Come on in, I'll make breakfast."

...

...

She looked at him while eating her breakfast, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

He shrugged, "you could say i collect strays, not that i mean that in a bad way. I just felt that you needed a home"

She smiled, "You are very kind."

"Feel free to roam around the house while i go to work."

She paused, "You're going to leave me? In your house?"

He nodded at her. "But i'm a complete stranger"

He walked upstairs, "Yes, yes you are"

...

...

"Not fond of eye contact, are you?" Dr Hannibal Lecter iniquired.

He remembered that last night Eve asked him the same thing, and he answered him, "Eyes are distracting" he said, looking at him dead in they eyes, "See too much, don't see enough. And it's hard to focus when you're thinking, umm, are those whites really white or, he must have hepatitis, or, is that a burst vein?" He saw a change in Hannibal's face and added, "So yeah, I try to avoid eyes whenever possible."

He continued to look at the files that were handed to him earlier, calling Jack, when Hannibal cuts him off, "I imagine what you see and learn touches everything else in your mind. Your values and decency are present yet shocked at the associations, appauled at your dreams. No forts in the bone arena of your skull for things you love."

Will frowned at him, "Whose profile are you working on?" He looked at Jack and repeated the question, incredibly annoyed, "Whose profile is he working on?"

Hannibal fixed his coat, "I'm sorry Will, observing is what we do. I cant shut mine off anymore than you can shut yours off." He said, grabbing his drink.

Will was beyond annoyance at this point, "Please don't psycho analyse me. You wont like me when i'm psychoanalysed."

"Will." Jack warned.

"Now if you'll excuse me, i have to give a lecture on psychoanalysing." Will sneered, leaving the room.

...

...

When Will got home, it was around 3 in the afternoon. He saw that his chimney was emitting smoke. He hurriedly ran inside, thinking something had happened.

"Do i smell burning flesh?" He said, coming in to what seemed to be a barbecue party.

She looked up at him, "Hi! And yes you smell burning flesh."

"What are you cooking?" He asked, while taking off his coat and got close to the fireplace that he almost never use. "How did you get the fire going?"

She ate a piece of the meat that she was cooking in the fire, and the dogs are suddenly mad with excitement. They wag their tails, pawed the ground, and nudged her with their noses.

"Squirrel. And i used woodlogs and newspapers for the fire."

He spazzed a little, "squirrel?"

She looked up slowly, knowing that she did something wrong. "Yes..."

"I have various meats in the fridge you know, if you know what a fridge is"

She looked at him with a 'are-you-kidding-me' face, "Of course i know what it is. And i feel unethical eating your store bought meat. So i catched this squirrel instead. Actually Winston did."

He shook his head and rubbed his face, feeling the sudden urge to sit down. "Arent you afraid of rabies?"

She laughed, "Silly, I don't eat ones that foam in the mouth. That's what dogs are for. They know which ones are good to eat, and which ones aren't."

He stood up, "You dont have to catch squirrels everyday you know, I—"

She cuts him off, "Of course, the squirrels will stay away from here for a few days, maybe tomorrow I can have raccoons or weasels. I saw one earlier."

He puts his hand up, "No, I mean you can choose from my fridge tomorrow, you live in a house now. You dont have to hunt."

She shook her head, "i dont make money, and food from the refrigerator costs money."

He slumped even lower on the couch, "No, it's all right, I make enough for two." The moment he finished saying this, he felt himself blush a little. _Did i just sound like I'm married?_

She raised her eyebrow, "That was husband talk. Gross" And laughed out loud. "I'll try and get a job tomorrow or something. Dont worry, i have ethics too."

He rubbed his face, "Whatever floats your boat" And went upstairs.

...

...

Eve woke up that morning feeling somewhat awkward. She has to come back to living a normal life from now on, now that Will Graham had saved her life. Oh how she wished she hadn't let go of Winston's leash that night. She opened her eyes, feeling weight on her feet, and saw that Will Graham's dogs are sleeping on it.

Eve had slept on the floor of Will Graham's bedroom for the past few nights, ignoring his protests. She slowly pulled her legs away from the dogs, and went to the guest bedroom to find her clothes. Will Graham took her shopping 3 days ago, and she cant believe that he had that much money to spare. She recalled he bought her 3 pairs of jeans, 6 t-shirts, 3 blouses, a trenchcoat, sneakers, and a beanie. He also bought her delicates, which made her red in the cheeks the whole trip home. She had her job to go to this morning, and she got ready. After she finished her shower, the dogs are already up, whining in the room.

She lets them out and puts them on a leash. She then wrote a note telling Will where she's going, and walks outside, ready to go to work.

She rang the doorbell, and a mean looking lady shows up on the door. The lady's face light up as she saw her, "Oh! You're here just in time!" She opened the door and a brown thing ran out.

"Get him back by three, all right?" She said, handing her the leash.

"Yes maam" She nodded excitedly.

She went to eight different houses, and got paid upfront by three of them. She used the money she got to buy dog food. She wanted to buy dog shampoo, but she didn't have enough money. She got home at around 10 o'clock, with 14 dogs accompanying her. She puts seven inside, and seven outside on the yard. She went outside to open up the wagon containing a large sack of dog food with her, when she saw that the dogs outside has made a terrible mess in Will Graham's yard.

"Oh this is going to be a loooong day" She muttered to herself, slapping herself in the forehead.

When Will got home that night, he was surprised to see his wagon with a half full sack of dogfood partly hidden in the front yard. He went inside to question Eve, when he saw her already asleep on the floor, leaning on the couch, her hair all messy and she was wearing her old clothes, the one he founded her in. He also saw that his dogs are asleep too. They seem to be exhausted.

"What happened here today?"

When he walked upstairs to take a shower, he saw that she washed her clothes in the bathroom and left them hanging near the window. He shook his head and rubbed his face, laughing.

...

...

_Eve, i'll be on a trip to Minnesota for a few days. Call me if you need anything. The 50 dollar's for you. Use it._

_Will. 555-027-1841_

_PS, you can sleep on the bed! And dont eat squirrels._

Eve laughed at the message. But her happiness was only around for a few minutes, as she remembered she was never alone in the house at night. She thought about calling him, but she didnt want to be a bother. She wished he didnt have to go.

That morning she walked the dog to the park, and sat there, pondering what she can do to kill time. She thought about what Will said to her a few days ago, and wondered if it was such a good idea.

That night, she wanted to do what Will taught her to, but decided not to. Instead, she opened up Will Graham's piano and tried playing it. She was very rusty. She couldn't remember some parts of the song, and her fingers wouldnt cooperate with her like they used to. The dogs yowled a couple of times, protesting the piano sounds.

She stopped playing at night time, when she was tired. She slept on the couch, too tired to walk upstairs.


	2. Are You Coming Home?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is an old fic that ive posted on fanfic.net years ago but ive changed it a bit, bcos i saw some inconsistencies and awkward moments, but the whole story remained the same. thankyou for reading

When Will Graham got home, Eve was away. He was surprised to see that the house was clean, she must have cleaned everything up the day before, because the smell of the cleaning product was still strong. He climbed upstairs, and fell asleep immediately. 

When Eve got home, she saw that Will’s car was already parked in front, and bursted in. The dogs were going mad, barking and sniffing and wagging their tails, missing their owner. She needn’t led them upstairs, they were running for the stairs as she opened the door. The dogs stopped running halfway up the stairs, as if they know their master is sleeping.

“What’s the matter guys? Why so quiet all of a sudden?” She whispered, walking in tiptoes and opened the bedroom door slowly. Seeing Will Graham asleep on the bed, she lets the dog in one by one, and closed the door. When she got back downstairs, she thought about the money that she has made, and went to the bakery to buy something to welcome Will Graham home.

When she got back from her shopping trip, Will Graham was already up and was sitting in the front porch, accompanied by Leia, Charles, and Winston.

“Where did you go?” He asked, a little bit blankly if she said so herself. He was somehow a different person now.

She opened the box that she was holding in her arms, and crouched down in front of him, “Welcome home. I wanted to surprise you, but you were already here, so.”

He smiled a crooked smile, took the box and went inside. “Come on.” He muttered.

She looked at him, a bit worried, but she was too afraid to ask what happened. She knows people in the FBI aren't supposed to talk about their job to their families. And she wasn't even his family. She was just a stranger with a dog that he met not 2 weeks ago.

He was putting the cake into the refrigerator when she came into the kitchen. There were already 2 plates with 2 huge pieces of cake on the kitchen counter. He glanced up, “What took you so long? I had expected you to be right behind me and watch me over my shoulder as I cut the cake.”

She sighed, “I—um..I’m worried about something.”

Will already had a huge piece of cake in his mouth, “Wowwied bout wat.”

She smiled, “Oh nevermind.”

He brought the plates, handed one to her, and went into the living room to eat. She turned around to see that he was enjoying his cake, taking huge chunks of it with a fork and shoving it into his mouth.

“Come on, what’s wrong? You can tell me.”

She sat on the floor in front of him, and Charles sat next to her, drooling as he was looking at her cake. “Umm, is there something that you maybe want to talk about, maybe, you know?”

Will shrugged crookedly, seems to have remembered something horrible, “Talk? No” He said, shoving another piece of cake into his mouth. “There’s nothing wrong with me. And you said ‘maybe’ twice.”

She looked at him worriedly, “All right then, if you say so.” She said, as she walked outside with her piece of cake.

........  
........

A few days later Eve woke up to a sight of Will Graham packing his bags. She looked at him, “Where are you going?”

He barely glanced at her, “Chippewa National Forest, Minnesota.”

“Oh, be safe then” She said, as she went back to sleep. Will Graham stared at her as she went back to sleep, surrounded by his dogs. She refused to sleep on the sofa, or on the guest bedroom, preferring to sleep in his room, surrounded by his dogs, closer to the space heater. Will wanted to say something to her, but decided not to, and leave a note instead.

_Leaving for a few days. Less days than last time though. Call me if you need anything. Dont eat squirrels.  
Will. 555-027-1841_

Eve woke up reading the note that he left her. She looked at it, feeling the familiarity that he has with her with the last note has gone. He left her 50 dollars, like last time. She puts the 50 dollars into the same place she puts them last time. Now she has 100. She left to tend the dogs that day, thinking about what should she bought for him when he comes back.

That day she walked to the park that was further than any route that she has taken. The dogs took in their surroundings and tried to walk in different ways. She saw a handsome man sitting down at a bench, reading a book, sometimes checking his phone. She wanted to approach this man, but she was way too shy. She went the other way, towards home. She made herself spaghetti that night, and then went to sleep.

She woke up in the dead of night, unable to sleep, feeling that something wasnt right. She looked at the digital clock that blinked red next to Will Graham’s bed, and it said it was 3.56 AM. She crept downstairs, not wanting to wake up any of the dogs, and saw that she forgot to turn the kitchen lights off, and the kitchen sink was still dripping.  
She face palmed herself and turned the sink off and the lights after. When she wanted to go upstairs, she saw that little Leia was up, and waited for her in the middle of the stairs. She aww-ed, and picked the little trembling dog up. When she got to Will’s bedroom, she thought about getting a real job again. Something that could make enough money to rent an apartment. But she remembered that without letters and certificates, she couldn’t do anything. She couldn’t go back to sleep, and walked back downstairs, trying her hands on the piano again. After about an hour, the dogs yowled from the room in protest, and they ran downstairs to protest even more.

She laughed, made herself some tea and turned the TV on. She saw nothing interesting, and then she got ready to walk the dogs. The dogs were being extra naughty that day, they dug holes in Will Graham’s yard, and a boxer called Jaws—that belonged to the lady with the tattoo--somehow climbed a tree and couldn't come down.

“Today’s a total disaster.” She groaned, as she climbed up the tree, rescuing the naughty boxer.

When it‘s foot touched the ground, it instantly ran away and joined the other dogs, digging. She groaned in annoyance and leashed them one by one, leading them off the grass. When Will Graham got home that night he was extremely annoyed that his yard was destroyed, with holes everywhere. Not to mention that it was rainy season, so the holes were filled with water. He was even more annoyed when he saw that Eve made spaghetti again. He smiled a little knowing that it was made out of real tomatoes instead of canned ones.

But when he went upstairs, his annoyance was suddenly gone. He saw her, on HIS bed, sleeping like a little kid, half her hands and feet were dangling on the sides of the bed, he and the blankets were tangled onto her. He shook his head and headed to the bathroom.

When he was brushing his teeth he heard her fell down and she groaned. He walked out of the bathroom with the toothbrush still in his mouth, and muttered as best he could, “Awight?”

She looked up, squinting her eyes, focusing on him, “Yeah, sorry.” She said, as she crawled to the dogs.

“You cah sweep on th beth” He said, while still brushing his teeth.

She shook her head as she crawled to her usual sleeping spot, in the middle of the dogs, and she fell asleep immediately.

He finished getting ready for bed and looked at her sleeping on the floor. That cant be comfortable.< p/>

........  
........

“Hey.”

“Whaaaaat.” She replied with an annoyed tone.

“You’re gonna get dizzy soon if you sit like that.”

“I miss dangling on branches, and since you banned me from doing that, I’m going to do this instead.” She was sitting upside down on the sofa.

He snorted, “Okay then. I have to go.”

“Whaat? No. Not again.”

“I’ll be home this night. I promise.”

“Swear on it! I got terrified in the night, your house is like in the middle of nowhere.”

He raised his eyebrow, “Said the girl that slept under bridges and parks at night.”

“I had nothing to lose then.”

She can see him roll his eyes, as he put his coat on. “I’ll bring back doughnuts.”

Her eyes twinkled, “Okay then. Be safe.”

She was so easy to coax with food. He felt bad for thinking that her behaviour is like a dog, but maybe she spent too much time with Winston, and not people. 

She sat upright, and went upstairs to play with the dogs. Will Graham has banned her from walking other people’s dogs, because he destroyed his front lawn. Eve thought Will seemed more depressed and sad ever since he got home from those trips, and he seemed to have those ‘snapping back to reality’ episode as if he was daydreaming before.  
Halfway up the stairs, Winston came down to greet her. He jumped into her arms as if he hasn't seen her for a long time, and she snuggled Winston’s neck, “Do you really love me? Or are you just hungry?” 

Winston barked angrily and demanded to be let down. He snorted, and ran back into Will’s room.

The dogs are sitting quietly near the space heater, missing their master. She sat on his bed, and pulled a book from the side table, and started reading. She hasn’t read one in years! And the last book she remembered reading was The Horse and His Boy. It was about a boy named Shasta and a talking horse called Bree and their journey back from slavery to the free north. She always loved the Chronicles of Narnia, and she even snuck into the cinema once to see one. The book in Will Graham’s side table was a book called American Gods by Neil Gaiman, and she was already a quarter way through when the phone rang.

“Graham’s Residence, this is Eve speaking, Will Graham isn't home right now. Can I take a message?”

She heard him sigh on the other side, “This is not an office, Eve. Be less formal. How many times have you answered the phone like that?”

“None. No one ever calls. This would be the first time. What’s the news?”

“I wont be coming home tonight.”

She pouted, “What about the doughnuts.”

She heard him sigh, “Tomorrow.”

“Be safe, Will. Don't get too tired.”

“Thanks.”

She groaned and rolled on the bed. She sat up and looked at the dogs, “He’s not going home tonight, guys.”

The dogs puts their head down and stared at her. “What? There’s nothing I can do.” And slammed herself onto the bed.

It was about 6.30 AM when she woke up due to movements on the bed, and Will Graham was there, sitting on the edge with his hands covering his face.

She whispered, “Will?”

He turned around, “I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

She shook her head and sat up, “No, the bed woke me. It’s far too comfortable.” She said while crawling to the place where the dogs are sleeping.

She fell asleep soon after, and didn't woke up again until 8.07 AM. She found a note on the floor next to her, along with another 50 dollars.

_Eve, i’m teaching today. Will be grading papers until tonight. Go and spend your 150 dollars, you earn them.  
Will. 555-027-1841_

“Who would’ve guessed this man also works as a school teacher?” She said, going back to sleep. 

On the way to work, Will Graham thought to himself, the less Eve knows about what he deals with everyday, the better.

........  
........

Will Graham drove to Hannibal Lecter’s office feeling annoyed as hell. He almost despised him, ever since Hannibal psychoanalysed him. But with Hannibal rubber stamping him, he felt the hatred subsiding. When he got home, he saw a sack of dogfood badly hidden in the kitchen, and he heard a little jingling collar. He smiled, knowing who she put the collar on.

When he got upstairs, he was greeted by little jingling Leia, and he smiled to himself. _When i said spend, i mean spend them on yourself, idiot._ He thought. But he cant help but smile as he saw Mackenzie snuggling with a quite big, and not-so-new-looking teddy bear. He saw her already sleeping, covered in a dark brown blanket that almost matched his bedroom floor. He smiled, feeling happy for a moment.

Will Graham couldn't sleep that night, and decided that he’d come to work early. He left the house at approximately 6 o’clock, and left a note for Eve. But what he didn't know was that she was awake the whole time, and as soon as he left the house, she read the note.

_Having trouble sleeping. Came to work early, idk if i’ll be home today. Be safe, here’s 50.  
Will. 555-027-1841_

She sighed, feeling something is definitely wrong with Will Graham. She stared at the window for a long time, seeing the sky change colour.

...........

It was the first time she called him. His response was short and dull.

“Hello? Will? It’s been 3 days.”

“Has it?”

“It has, I dont feel comfortable in your house alone.”

“Don’t be.”

There was a long pause before she finally said, “Umm....Okay then, bye.”

She lets out a long sigh followed by a coughing fit, and she ran to the bathroom. After that she took their dogs out for a walk. She saw a car that looks like Will’s on her way, but she thought to herself that there are plenty of cars that look like that, and kept on walking.

But when she got home, she saw a message on the table.

_Got home just to shower. Will be away again for a few days.  
Will. _

She groaned, and slammed herself on the bed. She is genuinely worried about Will Graham.


	3. Hannibal Lecter

Will Graham went outside to get the dogs out as Eve made breakfast. She tried making scrambled eggs like Will had taught her a few days ago, but she couldn’t get it quite right. Her first try was too runny, so she dumped it on her plate. She was going to ask him how many spoons of milk she was supposed to put in when she saw him outside talking to a beautiful lady.

“You want me to get you a cup of coffee?” The woman said.

“...No... I wanna get my coat.” Will Graham answered. He doesn't sound like he wanted her to go inside, She thought, and immediately she grabbed her plate and tiptoed upstairs before the woman forced her way inside and saw what Will doesn't want her to see.

Eve was right. “Let’s have a cup of coffee.” She heard as she was halfway up the stairs.

As she was upstairs, she tried not to listen to their conversation and to not make any noise at all. She wanted to go outside the window, but by the sound of their talking, it looks like they were talking exactly below her. She didn't dare move.

The phone rang a few minutes later, and Eve almost gasped in surprise. A second after the phone stopped ringing, a cellphone buzzed. The woman doesnt seem to realise that there were someone else in the house, and Will Graham doesnt seem to mention there is one either.

She heard pieces of their conversation, and it seemed that Will Graham killed the parents of a girl called Abigail Hobbs, who is now in the hospital, and there are people called Jack and Dr Lecter involved in it somehow.

The woman left after the conversation was over, but not before doing a little flirting. She rolled her eyes, waiting for her to leave the house so she can move freely. Her legs have fallen asleep.

Will Graham opened the front door the same time Eve’s stomach growls. When the woman left, she slowly crept off the bed to her plate. She ate her breakfast as she walked downstairs. She can feel him stare at her while she’s doing it.

“You even brought your plate up with you. You’re very detailed.” He said, as he made his scrambled egg.

She continued eating in silence.

“Why did you hide?”

She didn’t dare look up from her empty plate, “I assume you didnt want her to know that I was living here.”

“And what gave you that impression?”

“The fact that you didnt want her to come in, and that you didn’t call me downstairs.”

He twitched, it’s something that he had done quite a lot recently. “You know that I didnt want her to come in by staring at me from the back from the kitchen window?”

She shook her head, “I was in the middle of the living room. Peering through windows are... dangerous. That’s why I didnt see her leave either. Curiosity kills.”

“What did you learn from our conversation?” He asked as he sat down.

“I tried not to listen very much, but one can’t help but to hear a few pieces of your conversation. I learned that you killed Abigail Hobbs’ father, and her mother is already dead beforehand. She is in a hospital right now, and a guy named Jack and Dr Lecter are involved.”

“Smack dab in the centre.” He said, pointing his fork at her. “You’re coming to work with me.”

She ‘nuh-uh’ed him like those sassy black women from the television, and he laughed.

.........

Will Graham was spending less time at home, and more time at work. Eve had read half the novels that Will Graham owns. There are lots of other books that he had, but they were all psychology, or books that require brain power to read. She needed new books ASAP.

She was laying down on the living room floor that night when Will Graham got home. He seemed depressed.

“Hey.” He greeted flatly.

“Hey.” She replied, in an even flatter tone that his.

“Are you bored?”

“Yes.”

“I asked you to go to work with me, this morning.”

“And what was I supposed to do in the FBI headquarters?”

He joked, “Maybe make coffee?” and she threw one of his dogs’ chew toy, and it hit his shoulder.

“I was kidding. You have excellent analysing skills, your aim isn’t so bad, and living on the streets for a few years has toughen you up. We need a fresh pair of perspective.”  
She groaned and rolled over, “That means I have to actually talk to people.”

Will Graham shrugged, “You don't have to. You’ll just have to say what you see, and you don't actually have to make conversation.”

“You’re lying. I can tell” She wrinkled her nose.

Will Graham produced something from his bag, making Eve sniff the air. “Is that...a red velvet cupcake?” She sniffed the air like a dog, “With nuts?” She laughed and got up, sitting on the sofa.

“Will this make you change your mind?” He asked, giving her the cupcake, which turned out to be regular red velvet cake with nuts. She ran to the kitchen and returned with 2 forks.

“Not for all the cakes in the world, Will Graham.” She took a huge chunk from the cake, and went back to sleeping on the floor.

Winston and Leia came down, smelling the cake and their precious masters. Winston, to her surprise wants to cuddle with Will while Leia sniffed her and pawed her head.  
Will Graham’s phone buzzed, and he had to go. 

“I wont be coming home. Unless you want to come with me so you don't have to be here all alone?”

She pointed at Winston and Leia, “And leave these beautiful creatures behind to chew off your couch and banisters? No thanks. I’ll stay.”

Will snorted and left. He promised to bring back some food for her, but he wasn't sure when he’ll be back.

2 days later, in the middle of the night, Will Graham went home to find his house empty. He searched the house for any signs of notes saying where she’s going, but he didn't find any. He ran to the back of his house, and searched for a sign of life. None. He wanted to yell her name, his dogs’ names, but he didn't have the strength to. His heartbeat was that of a hummingbird’s wings, and he could hear it in his ear.

He tried to think of good reasons why would his house be empty, but none came to his mind. He sat on the sofa, trying to think of things he could do. He could not call the cops, it’s too early and there’s no sign of forced entry. He didn’t who to call, Eve doesn’t have a cell phone and no one he knows know about her. It was an hour later when Eve and his dogs came back from the darkness of his backyard.

“Will!” She exclaimed, clearly she wasn't expecting him to be home that late or rather, early.

“Where did you go? Why didn't you leave any notes? Why did you take them with you?” He frowned, his voice trembling.

She looked confused, “Oh i’m so sorry, Will. At first Mackenzie wanted to go pee, and then the rest of them woke up, and i ended up taking them out for a walk.” She looked down to see what she was wearing, and then she apologised, “I’m sorry for wearing your jacket and coat. They’re..... very comfortable.”

Will shook his head, “Don't—Don't do that again. Walking alone in the middle of the night. It’s dangerous.”

She nodded, “I’m sorry.”

It was his turn to nod, and he went upstairs followed by the dogs. He saw that she had been cleaning and rearranging his clothes in his closet. That’s why she was wearing his jacket and coat. It was his old one, the one that he’d wore regularly to university. He was quite surprised to see that she rearranged his closet the way that he would rearrange it himself. Coats, jackets, and sweaters are all folded neatly in the top section of his closet. Below it, his pyjamas. Which he never uses anymore, because he felt more comfortable sleeping in a white t-shirt and boxers.

Next to his pyjamas are his work shirts, the ones that he wore to work. And in the hanging section, are his best clothes, his tuxedo, and work pants. He frowned and took out a green pyjama.

“I hope you don't mind, there were a mess earlier.” She said from the other side of the door. She looked like a dog that has done something wrong, and was terribly sorry for what she’s done.

“How did you know what goes where?” He asked, his voice was so low it’s almost a whisper.

She shrugged, “I just…guessed.” 

......

Eve woke up to see a note from Will Graham saying that he’d be staying in Minnesota for a while. He had asked her a few times for her to go with, but she always refused.

“Work makes pay, and pay requires some sort of employee data. I don't want to have ‘some sort of data’. I want to be free, able.”

“Able? That’s an interesting choice of words.” He said skeptically. “Able means a lot of things. What university did you go to?”

She laughed, “Me? university? Noooooo. I didn't even finish high school, Will.”

“You’re lying.” He retorted. And Eve saw a glimpse of disgust in his face.

She raised her hands in defeat, “Okay, okay. I did finish high school,and I did attend university. But I will not tell you which one. You will ask so many questions. I wont go with you. And dont go searching for my name either. I forbid it. You searching for my name on the internet equals you wanting me to go back on the streets again. Now can I go back to agressively trying to play the piano again?”

Will stood still, and then went to his study to write things on his official looking notebook. She puts the mini grand piano into mute by pressing the middle pedal, and he shouted, “Don't. I wanna listen.”

She groaned, but unmuted the piano. She played the only song she remembered from all these years. It was called Liebestraum. The name contained more words and numbers, but she forgot. She convinced herself that Liszt composed the song, but in the end she couldn’t be sure. 

She played badly, but was improving. When she finally gave up because the dogs howled and yowled from upstairs, she walked towards Will Graham’s study, He wasn't doing anything. Just sitting, looking at nothing. Once he saw her coming, he looked directly at her, which was a rare thing, and asked, “Imagine your father is a serial killer, and I killed him. What do you feel towards me?”

She stayed quiet for a very long time, thinking about how absurd the question was, but his constant stare made her uncomfortable. “Umm....I’d be sad, because he’s my father. Probably happy, because he would be an abusive weirdo. Confused, because I feel sad and happy at the same time. Hurt, that he would do such a thing, and... probably will look for another father figure, which will result in me finding a father figure in other guys that are secretly serial killers, since it’s the only father type that I know of. I guess. But that’s just me.”

Will Graham stared even harder into her eyes, “Oxford?”

She puts her hands on her hips and left him.

........

The note she received was very short. Shorter than the last ones that he left her.

_Off to Minnesota.  
Will. 555-027-1841_

She groaned, strangling Winston playfully until he barked, demanded to be let go. As soon as he was let go, he licked her in the face repeatedly, making her shield her face. She yanked his tail and the dog jumped. She laughed as she made her way to the bathroom to get ready. She hated being alone in his house, but she doesn't want to work for the FBI either. She has killed a number of people, and she was very sure that she left DNA’s and many other things on the crime scene. And working for the FBI would get her name, photo, date of birth, blood type, fingerprint, and other kinds of unnecessary things. Not to mention her family must be looking for her too. And with her brother working for the Interpol in the ‘International Division’ or the ‘department that searches for wanted people’ as she was told as a child, she didn't want to have her data on the system. It’ll be a piece of cake for them to find her.

She tried not to think about what made her ran all these years, but the memory stays and haunts her. But living with Will Graham eased her burden a bit, although she felt somehow distanced these past few weeks. Will Graham rarely goes home, and when he does, his mind was nowhere near home. He would either stare into space, read psychological books, read important looking files, or write.

Will Graham went home a few days later with his face even darker than before. Eve swore the shirt fit him when he last wore it, but now it seemed to be one size larger.

“What ha—“ She began asking.

“Don’t ask.” He ordered, as he rolled over so she cant see his face.

The next day, as she was poring dog food to the hungry hungry dogs’ bowl, she saw a car driving towards Will Graham’s house. She ran as quietly and as fast as she could upstairs, telling Will Graham that he has company.

But before she reached Will Graham’s room, the doorbell rang. “Eve? Could you get that?” He yelled out.

Shit. She walked downstairs, and opened the door. It was a tall 40-ish man with slick hair and a suit that seemed to cost as much as her internal organs sold in the black market altogether. He was surprised to someone other than Will Graham living in the house.

“Umm.. Hello.” She greeted the guest. “Would you like to come in sir? Will Graham is still getting ready.”

The man nodded slightly, and walked in. “I didn’t know Will Graham has a girlfriend. He never told me about you. Ms..?”

She shook her head, “Eve, sir” She said, as she shook his hand. She was surprised that the man made a gesture to kiss the back of her hand, and took her hand away before he could do it.

“I’m terribly sorry sir, but I’m not the kind of person that deserves such treatment. I know I am terribly rude, but I will be even more rude if i let you do it.”

He looked surprised, but then he composed himself. “Hannibal Lecter.” He said. “May I learn your full name?”

She hesitated, “Evangeline.”

The man smiled a very thin smile, as if his face wasn't used to smiling. “Very nice to meet you, Miss Evangeline. I have a feeling that we will get along just fine.”

She forced a smile. This is the man that was involved in the killing of Abigail Hobbs’ parents, along with Will. She offered him some tea, which he refused.

Will came down a few minutes later, his eyes defeated. Will left the house leaving her 50 dollars.

“Don’t put it back in my wallet like last time.”

She nodded, and they left. Hannibal waved goodbye longer than Will did, which makes her worry even more. She spent the day cleaning and washing the dogs. Will called home that afternoon, stating that he wont be home for the day.

“Ugh, if i don't know better I’ll think you’re sleeping with that Dr Lecter person. He is very handsome and charming.”

“Bye Eve.”

She laughed, and she heard him snort just before he hung up. She smiled, and promised herself that she will do anything to make Will Graham happy. That is the least she can do after all the things that he has done to her.

But her bubbly happiness only lasted for a day, for the next day he called saying that he wont be home for the week.

“But I—“

“Everything will be fine, Eve. Don’t worry.”

“Okay. Be safe, Will. Dont eat squirrels” She said, forcing a laugh.

He heard him force a chuckle also, and hung up.

....

They were at the Hobbs’ log cabin, hours after they found the body of Abigail Hobbs’ friend. Abigail Hobbs was with Alana, and Jack was busy with EMTs. It was just Will and Hannibal, standing side by side in front of Hannibal’s car.

“Until when are you going to keep her a secret, Will?”

“What?”

“Eve.”

He took his glasses off, “Why are we talking about her suddenly?”

“She suddenly comes to mind.” Hannibal retorted, his voice as smooth and cool as ice. Like his heart, Will thought.

Will Graham looked up at the house, “She’s hiding from something, or someone.” He said, and then he focused his sights on the EMTs, “I just don’t want her to be found when she’s not ready yet.”

Hannibal looked at Will Graham, “You seem to care more for this young girl more than she cares about you.”

He shrugged, “It’s because you dont know where she slept.”

Hannibal smiled, “I presume she sleeps on the same bed you do?”

Will closed his eyes in annoyance, “The floor, Dr Lecter. She sleeps on the floor.”

“I dont see the connection between caring and sleeping on the floor.”

Will didn’t answer, still closing his eyes, hoping that Hannibal Lecter will stop talking.

.............

Will Graham arrived home at 4 AM, while Eve was reading a book. He was surprised to see her on the bed, with a bag of chips on her stomach, and all of his dogs on the bed with her.

She was as surprised as he was. “Ummm... Welcome home?” She greeted him with an amount of uncertainty that almost made him chuckle.

He went to the bathroom and washed himself. He couldn't get the image of Marissa out of his head.

When he went out of the bathroom, she was still on his bed, reading a book with a bag of chips on her stomach.

“You’re going to attract ants.”

“Is it because I’m sweet?” She asked, making him chuckle. It makes him wonder where does she get those ideas from.

She tapped the bed twice and all of the dogs stood up and walked to their place near the space heater. She shifted herself to the other side of the bed so he can sleep.

“What page are you on?” he asked, when he was already cozied up inside his blanket.

“Go to sleep,Will Graham. We’ll talk tomorrow.” She said, as she closed the book and the bag of chips. He then saw her crawl onto the floor and set her head on Mackenzie’s teddy bear, making the border collie mix whine and set his paws on her head, which she ignored.

Will Graham slept well that night, not knowing that Abigail Hobbs has made the mistake of her life by escaping from the hospital to a certain someone’s office.


	4. Psychic Evaluation

Eve sat on Hannibal Lecter’s ex-secretary’s chair while Will Graham’s mind was ‘being evaluated and dissected like a frog’. He said that earlier as they were driving up to Hannibal Lecter’s office in Baltimore. She imagined herself being an assistant, and then shuddered. Being an assistant sounds horrible. Being cooped up in the office all day with only those little windows to see the outside world. Working under Dr Hannibal Lecter seemed very horrible also, for she dislikes his eyes, and how they look at people. It always seemed that he has a hidden agenda or something.

She heard pieces of conversations, and wished that she had brought a book with her. When she was bored enough, she leaned on the door, and listened to the conversation.

“You can sense his madness?” She heard Hannibal asking Will. “Like a blood hound?”

_Whoa, what’s that supposed to mean?_

“I tried so hard to know Garrett Jacob Hobbs. See him pas the slides and vials and beyond the lines of the police reports, between the pixels of all those printed faces of sad dead girls.” Will sighed a few times. She was surprised that a psychiatric office’s walls are so thin. She expected that she has to hold up those things that hung on doctors’ necks to the door or something to be able to listen to their conversations. 

“How did you feel seeing Marissa Shure? Impaled in his antlers?”

Will hestitated for a while, and she almost gasped when she heard him whisper “Guilty.” She decided not to listen anymore. What’s guilty is how thin these walls are, she shook her head. The fact that she could hear him whisper shoes the low quality of the grand building.

Will Graham brought her to the drive through of various fast food restaurants. She was elated. She has always wanted to go to a drive through in a car, and now she’s done it! They ordered tacos and burritos and fries and burgers and drinks and ice cream sundaes.

She almost cried from happiness when he did so, and the dogs were jumping like mad when they got home. 

They ear their dinner ON the kitchen table, because the dogs were very nosy. This was the first time that Eve has ever seen Will Graham so happy, because he couldn't stop smiling the whole time they were eating. The dogs finally gave up on trying to snatch their food, and they went to roam the house.

But the fun didnt last long, because Will Graham told her that he will be going away again, probably for a few days. But he told her that Hannibal Lecter will come visit when he is free.

“The handsome gentleman whose suits are more expensive than my internal organs.” She exclaimed, making the table shake. “I dont need a baby sitter, Will Graham. Besides, I don’t think you can afford him.”

Will, who’s left foot already touched the ground, put his leg back up and looked at her with disbelief. “I thought you got scared in the night?”

“He’s handsome and polite, but I’ll risk sleeping along rather than sleeping under the same roof with him.” she mumbled lowly, under her breath. 

“How is that possible?”

She looked at him, “He looks like he has a hidden agenda or something. He looks at me funny. Like he’s going to tell my secrets to the world if and when I misbehave.”

Will contemplates for a while, “Well, you might have a point on the hidden agenda there, but he’s harmless.”

She shrugged. “Can I ask you for a favour, Will Graham?”

“What is it?”

“Can I wear a few of your sweaters?”

He frowned, “Didn’t I bought you some?”

She hid half her face behind the burrito she was eating, “But yours looks somehow much more comfortable.”

He got off the table, “You can wear any of my clothes that you want.”

“Yay!” She yelled out, making the dogs in the other room jumped. Especially Leia. She went to sleep on the couch that night, because she was too tired to walk upstairs. She was woken up the next morning by the sound of a piano playing.

She opened her eyes to see a blurry red figure by the piano. She instinctively grabbed the lamp beside the sofa, and held it like a sword.

The blurry red being stayed still. She blinked a couple of times, and the blurry red turned out to be Dr. Lecter. She puts the lamp down, “I’m terribly sorry, I thought you were someone else.” She rubbed her eyes and then yawned. “So, umm... Good morning.”

“Good Morning, Ms Evangeline.” He greeted, “I’ve fed the dogs while you slept.”

She sniffed the air. “Oh, thankyou very much Doctor.” She smelt the air again, “Pork sausage?”

The doctor didnt say anything. She tried to walk, but she wobbled and almost fell. Hannibal took a step towards her.

Her eyes widened and she blurted out “No.”, but then she realised she was being rude, so she added, “Thankyou. Sorry.” She mumbled.

“If anyone should apologise, it should be me, Ms Evangeline.”

She cracked her back, her knuckles, and walked towards the stairs. But halfway up, she saw that the dogs are pestering him. They sniffed him, pawed his legs, and whined, probably for more sausage. She called them upstairs, making Hannibal smile at her.

When she was finished, she walked downstairs to find that Hannibal was reading Will’s extensive book collection.

“Ah! Ms Evangeline. There you are. I have grown weary thinking that you’ve forgotten about me.”

She looked at the clock, “I—apologise doctor. I’m very sorry.”

“It’s all right, Ms Evangeline. I have to leave now. It was very nice meeting you.”

She opened the door for him, and watched him drove away. She was quite puzzled, because she was sure that she only left him for less than 5 minutes. She called the dogs downstairs, and she took them for a walk.

Will Graham persuaded her to go along with him to another one of his psychiatrist visits, and again she had to wait in Dr Lecter’s ex-assistant’s chair. She spun around while reading the ‘American Gods’ novel, and it was a full hour before she was bored out of her wits.

So she decided to listen in on their conversation again. She sat as quietly as possible against the door, and pushed her left ear to it.

“There is something so foreign about family.” She heard Will sigh. “Like an ill-fitting suit. I never connected to the concept. I followed my father from the boat yards of Biloxi and Greenville to lake boats on Eury.”

“Always the new boy at school, always the stranger.” Hannibal stated.

“Always.”

“You’ve created a family for yourself.”

Will stuttered, “I-I connect with a family of strays.” He paused, and then he continued, “And thank you for feeding them while I was away. I heard one of them tried to hit you with a lamp.”

Hannibal paused, “I was referring to Abigail.”

Will Graham didn’t answer. She stood up as quietly and as quickly as she could, because she heard footsteps coming. She couldn’t get it out of her head that Hannibal doesn’t want Will to think that she’s a part of his family of strays. She sat back down on the secretary chair the exact same moment the door opened. 

“Please come in, Ms Eve.” Hannibal said, holding the door open for her.

She ran towards Will Graham, who was halfway out the other door, when Hannibal said something that made her ran even faster.

“It’s your turn now, young lady.”

She reached Will Graham a few moments after Hannibal said so, and he merely replied, “I’ll be back in an hour or so. I’ll bring you some dinner.”

She gave a pleading look to Will Graham, wishing that he would reconsider this, but he was already out of the building as she stood frozen in the doorway. She slowly turned around and saw Hannibal standing near the chairs that are facing each other. She walked slowly towards Hannibal, and she refused to sat down before he did. He walked towards a blue sofa at the corner of his office, and sat down. She stared at him as he patted the seat next to him.

She smelt fear gushing out of her body. She didn’t feel safe at all being alone in this room with this gentleman. Even now, she still thinks that he has a hidden agenda. And now she knows that it was true.

She sat down, quite far from Hannibal. There was a long silence before he said, “Curiosity kills the cat. Do you know of that idiom, Ms Eve?”

She looked at him dead in the eyes, if this is the kind of game that he likes to play, then she’s a sure winner, because she knows exactly what game he’s playing. She changed her manner of speech to match his. “Yes. And also there’s ‘a bird in hand is better than two in the bush’, Dr Lecter. I am quite fond of idioms.” She said, smiling at him innocently.

Hannibal looked down for a while, and then looked back at her, smiling. It seemed that he has never encountered someone like her before, because he got that flash of excitement in his eyes. “Will Graham has told me that you have quite a few issues, especially with work.”

“I am fine with any work, as long as my name isn’t being input into any online databases.”

“Then what do you feel about working for me? As you can see, I am in need of assistance.” He said, smiling at the unintended pun that he just made. “And is assure you that your name won’t be published online.”

She smiled, “I’m afraid I must refuse, Dr Lecter. You are quite an important person, and people walking by the doors must be very important also. I wouldn’t want to attract unwanted and unneeded attention. Besides, I don’t have the wardrobe for it.” She said, tugging at her shirt.

Hannibal smirked, “If you say yes, then I shall make sure everything is taken care of, Ms Eve. You need not worry.”

She laughed, “I’ll talk about it with Will.”

“You seem very dependent of Will.”

She smirked, here comes the psychic evaluation. “Well, a dog mustn’t bite the hand that feeds it.”

Hannibal smiled a smile that meant no good, and continued, “Do you care for Will?”

She tilted her head, “Of course I do. He saved me from the streets. We’re like family now.” She said, smiling sweetly in the process, knowing that she’s the one thing that can destroy Dr Lecter’s plan. Whatever the plan is.

Hannibal stood up, “Well, maybe we can talk about family. Would you care to talk about yours?” He looked back at her, with a small smirk that Eve interpreted as a smirk of triumph.

Fuck this arsehole. She went into his territory, and of course he has all of his walls up to avoid escape, complete with an obstacle course for her to run around in. She’s treading on very dangerous territory indeed. Refusing this would lead to more questions and she was afraid Hannibal would look her up on the internet.

She fed him vague information about his father, deceased twin sister, and her abusive mother. During the exchange Hannibal didn’t utter a single word, merely staring at different things, which made her even more uncomfortable. He was using interrogative tactics, staying quiet makes the interrogated talk more freely, getting more information. Once she was quiet long enough, Hannibal realised his tactics did not quite work, so he tried to gauge out more information.

“I do believe I have asked you once before about your full name, Ms Evangeline.”

Her expression hardened. To her this is already blackmail, however heavily and beautifully veiled. “Evangeline Donaghue. D-O-N-A-G-H-U-E. I would greatly appreciate if you do not put those names together when you went online, later. My last name should be enough.

“If it’s all right with you, doctor,” She then forced a smile and pointed to the door, “May I leave now? Will is on the other side of that door with food.”

The doctor raised his eyebrows, “You can smell him from all the way over here, Ms Eve?”

She shrugged, “Everything smells different here. When you live outside long enough, you’ll learn to differentiate smells. Which are food, which are people.”

Dr Lecter merely smiled his usual hidden agenda smile and led her to the back door. He asked if she would come and have dinner with him sometimes, and she begrudgingly accepts. She was mad as hell with Will for leaving her in the fucking office.

Will Graham commented in the car, “Doctor Lecter really should renovate his office.”

She nodded, “I agree. I can smell the blackpepper chicken from inside.”

Will Graham realised that she had also listen in on his conversation, and he asked her, “Want to go fishing sometime?”

She chuckled, “bet you all the money i have that I’ll catch more fish than you, Will Graham.”

It was the first time Will Graham smiled a genuine smile without any worry or sadness or disgust in his face.

........

It was Tuesday morning, about 7 AM, and the both of them are back from fishing. Will Graham looked happy, but quite annoyed, because he had caught less fish than Eve. Eve on the other hand, was as happy as little kid with basketful of fish could be. He stayed home for the day, and he told her that he was going to cook the fish.

“Cook them? Ooh! I’ll get the fire going.” She exclaimed excitedly, and was already halfway to the living room when Will yelled, “On the stove.”

She pouted and walked back towards the kitchen. Will asked her to clean all of the fish, while he prepared the flour and vegetables.

They ate their dinner on the table again because the dogs are being dogs. They sniff, make puppy dog eyes, they beg, they do voluntary tricks, and they hop on the chairs. Will finally gave up and fried them some unsalted fish, and the dogs kept quiet for a while.

It was about 10 PM when Eve woke up finding Will and the dogs gone. She rushed downstairs, and saw that he lets them outside, while he stared at them. She walked back upstairs, not wanting to disturb him.

Will went to the fishing store the next day, and Eve was home trying to clean the kitchen from the fish smell. Will came home from his trip to the fishing store with a box in hand, and he wrapped the gift very beautifully. He used a brown paper, and tied the box with a beige and dark brown bows.

“Whoa, I didn’t know men can tie bows like that.” She said, as she walked into the living room.

“Did you catch some more fish?” He asked. He sniffed the air.

She shook her head, “i was just cleaning the kitchen. The dogs left quite a mess last night. I’m gonna go take a shower now.”

Will Graham was sitting on the porch when she came back down, and she watched him watch the dogs playing in the yard. Will Graham seems to be very moody lately, and was somehow a different person.

He didn’t speak to her for the rest of the day, and he left a note saying that he will be going to Dr Lecter’s office the next morning. His handwriting has gotten sloppier then before. She thought he left in quite a hurry, and thought nothing about it.

When Will got home that day, he as quite pissed off, only giving her the ‘sup’ nod, and then dragged his feet upstairs. It was nearly midnight when she finally went upstairs, because she was caught up in one of Will’s psychological book. As she crept into the room, she saw that he hasn’t slept yet.

“Having trouble sleeping?” She whispered.

He gave her a little nod. She saw that the dogs are already fast asleep and that they didn’t leave her any place to sleep amongst them. She was thinking of a way to get in the middle of them when Will called her.

“Hey.”

She looked at him and saw that he has moved to the other side of the bed. She paused for a moment, but then decided to do as she was told. She felt very awkward sleeping on the bed with someone beside her, and after about 20 minutes she felt like she would better off sleeping on the floor.

Will Graham rolled over to the side she was previously on, and asked her to move. He then rolled onto the floor, and looked at her, “For once I would like to know how it feels like to sleep on the ground.” He bemusedly mumbled.

She snorted, “Have fun staying awake 89% of the night, Will Graham.”

But she was wrong. Will Graham barely stirred the whole night, and he didn’t even get cold. The next morning, she woke up earlier than he was, showing that he too can sleep soundly on the floor. She took a shower, brushed her teeth, got the breakfast ingredients ready, and then went back upstairs to check up on Will Graham. It took three whispers, 10 pokes on the waist, and a few licks from Leia to woke him up.

He spazzed awake, “H-huh?”

She told him it was time to wake up, and that she already got breakfast ingredients ready. She didn’t dare fry things without an adult supervision, or at least a competent human being watching. She was very unfamiliar with the concept of frying things, the electric coffee maker, and other things Will has in his kitchen. She was learning day by day, but she felt she could learn so much more and so much faster if she had a less busy teacher. He was away most of the time, and she would only cook spaghetti, or she would eat bread and boiled eggs and vegetables. 

Will Graham spent the day at home, for he had no classes to teach that day, and he spent the day teaching Eve not to be afraid of the oil that bursts from the pan from time to time when one’s frying. He lost patience lots of times, because she was very afraid even though he had told her it was nothing a dozen times.  
She would overreact, and duck whenever the oil in the pan starts to burst. He rubbed his face for what seemed to be the hundredth time, and quit teaching her. He sat on the couch with the burnt, and some are undone fried nuggets. He gave some to the dogs, and they were now all around him. Eve joined him a couple of minutes later, with her expression very alert.

“I’m sorry.” Will Graham muttered.

She was confused, “Why sorry?”

He looked at her in the eyes, “You obviously had a traumatic event with a frying pan, or oil, or something, but I forced you to cook anyway.”

She shook her head, “It’s okay. We all need to get over our fears anyway.”

“What happened, if I may ask?” Will Graham said, patting the empty seat next to him. She hesitated for a moment, and then stood in front of him.

“Promise you won’t yell.” She said, and he nodded.

She turned around, facing the TV, and lifted her shirt, revealing the hideous melted skin on her back. She lowered her shirt and sat down next to him. “It happened about 10 months ago, at the same time that the violating happened.”

She wanted to cry, but she held back her tears. The dogs, led by Winston, came by and whined. They know she’s feeling very distressed, “I was in New Orleans, and this man promised me a ride to Decatur. We stopped at his friend’s house. The guy was deep frying some fries. He called me to the kitchen to help, and then he forced his way with me. I staggered back towards the deep fryer, and then it toppled, spraying its boiling contents on my back. I ran outside as fast as I can, and then I found a river, and I jumped in. One reason was to cool the burn, the other was to drown myself.” She finally let emotion take over her, and cried into her hands. 

“I’m very sorry.” Will Graham said. She saw his hand move towards hers, but she moved hers away. She doesn’t need anyone’s pity.

She exhaled, “You won’t be sorry for what I did to the man afterwards.”

“You killed him?” He asked, with a tone of surprise.

She scoffed, “Only managed to stab him. I killed his friend.”

There was a long awkward silence, and she continued, “Are you going to arrest me?”

Will Graham twitched, and shook his head, “For what?” He said, and smiled.

Eve smiled weakly, “Thank you Will Graham. I will learn to keep my mouth shut.”

“No.” He told her, “You should tell me these things. I want to know everything. We are family, after all.” He took off his glasses and stood up.

“A family of strays.” She muttered, and brought her head down on Will Graham’s arm.

She felt him putting his other hand on her head, and then stroking her hair. His hand got stuck numerous times, and then she laughed and lifted her head. “I am in desperate need of a haircut.”

“Would you like me to cut them?” 

She laughed even louder and replied, “Oh no. Only professionals can touch my hair. Winston is one. He’s the best.”

Will Graham shook his head and went upstairs. He went to bed thinking about what has happened to Eve in the past, and he promised to himself to make sure that bad things will never happen to her again. He shuddered thinking about the pain that she went through until her wound heals, and what she could be running from, that she will endure those kind of pain instead of going home.


	5. Angels and Angels

Eve was getting very tired of Winston’s behaviour lately. He was disobeying orders, and numerous times he would be caught chewing on her clothes. Winston never behaves this way, and she was getting tired of it. The only thing that would calm him down was Will Graham, who spends less and less time at home. He would go to Dr Hannibal Lecter’s office on irregular hours, and she was getting suspicious that the both of them are dating. 

It was the middle of the night, and she was half asleep when she heard Will Graham getting off the bed. She whispered his name, but he didnt hear, or maybe he simply ignored her. She tiptoed and followed him, until they were outside. Winston dashed out of the door, following Will Graham, completely ignoring her tongue clicking and hissing noises. 

She pulled on a sweater, and brought another one with a trench coat for Will Graham. When she caught up to them, she can safely say now that there is definitely something wrong with him. She waved her right hand across his face, but Will Graham didn’t respond. She even tried those fake eye poking movements, but Will Graham didn’t even blink.

She walked behind him, feeling very cold, and looked around at her surroundings. Will Graham walked for around 3 kilometres, and they were now walking in the middle of an empty road. She was walking on the lines, cautiously watching Will Graham, when he looked back at her direction very slowly, before looking back forwards. She tried her fake eye poke manoeuvre again, but again there was no response.

Not long after, there was a light in the distance. A red white and blue light. She was very afraid that they are going to ask for identifications, and she began to panic. She dashed into the woods, leaving Will Graham for her own safety. But after seeing Winston safely by his side, she began to rethink her action and went back to the road, where the police car can surely see them.

She jumped and waved to the police car, to make sure that they don’t look at all suspicious. But two people dog walking in the middle of the night is surely very suspicious.  
Will Graham was slowly finding his consciousness, and he shaded his eyes from the police lights with his hands.

The cop car stopped in front of them, and two policemen walked out of the car. One of them brought a flashlight and shone it to Will Graham’s face, and then hers.

“You lost?”

Will Graham sounded very gruff, “What?”

The man looked at her, as if waiting for her to answer, but she kept quiet. The policeman asked Will Graham again, “What are your names?”

Will Graham looked confused, and then look behind him, and she waved at him. He look back to the policemen. “Will Graham. And she’s Eve.”

The other policeman looked at their surroundings, as if there are more people hiding in the woods.

“Do you know where you are, Mr Graham?” The policeman holding the flashlight asks again.

“No.” He replied, and then looked at her, and she shook her head in a hurry, avoiding eye contact with the police by looking down at Winston. He was being very quiet, unlike his usual self.

“Where do you live?” The police asked him, with quite a rude tone if she said so herself.

“Wolf Trap, Virginia.” Will Graham answered before coughing a couple of times. He sounded very sick suddenly, and she bets it was because of the cold.

She handed him the extra sweater and the trench coat that she was wearing, leaving her with only her shorts and his sweater that she wore over her shirt. Both men eyed them with watchful eyes, making sure that they weren’t up to no good. The police then told her, “We’re in Wolf Trap, so that’s good. Close to home.”

Will Graham nodded a couple of times, and wore the sweater and trench coat. The man asked again, “Is that yours?” Whilst shining the flashlight towards Winston. Winston averts his snout, and looked the other way.

From behind, Will Graham looked very surprised that Winston was there with them. “Hi, Winston.” He greeted. Winston suddenly walked away from them, and into the side of the police car.

Will Graham wanted to follow him, but then paused, “Can I sit down? My feet are sore.”

The police looked at them with questionable looks, “Why don’t we take you home?”

After answering a few questions about where they work and what were they doing, The police left them for a few moments. They gave them red blankets to warm themselves.  
“Why didn’t you stop me?”

Winston was sitting on her lap, and she was rubbing him down so he wouldn’t feel the cold anymore. It took her a full minute before she could answer, “I was afraid.”

“Of what?”

“You. I was afraid that if I woke you up, you would go berserk, or a coma. Whichever is worse. I’ve snuck to enough movies that breaking people from their trances cannot lead to anything good.”

Will Graham nodded. But before he could say anything else, the policeman showed his head on the window, and asked them more questions.

“Are you on any drugs, medication, prescription, or otherwise?”

Wiill Graham shook his head, “No.”

“You’ve been drinkin?”

“No...Uhh yes. Not excessively, I’ve had two fingers of whiskey before I went to bed.”

“Do you have a history of sleepwalking, Mr Graham?”

He looked at the policeman’s direction, “I’m not even sure that I’m awake now.”

He gave Winston a rub on the head, making him yawn. They stayed quiet in the cop car, and Will Graham repeatedly looking at his hands, touching them and feeling them, making sure that he’s still awake. He gave her a look of concern, and she gave him the same look.

When they dropped them in Will Graham’s house, they felt damp, and he advised that they change clothes to avoid getting sick. And Eve, who was done changing first, turned the space heater on full blast, making the other dogs whine and move back towards Will Graham’s bed. But Winston came close and cuddled with her.

“Hey boy, why are you being so nice all of a sudden, ay?” She joked, and Winston nudged her chin.

Will Graham joined them not long after, with two glasses of milk.

“What happened to me back then?”

She drank the whole glass of milk before she answered, “You woke up, and walked outside. That’s all I know.”

There was silence.

“You walked outside, Winston followed, and I grabbed sweaters and your coat, and then catch up with you.”

“Did i do something on my sleepwalk?”

“No.” She closed her eyes, remembering what happened, “You looked at my direction once, but I think you were looking back at something in your dreams, because I fake poked you in the eyes, and you still didn’t respond.”

“Hmm” He drank his glass of milk, “Next time you catch me sleepwalking, I want you to wake me up.”

She shook her head, “No. What if you were having a nightmare, and I was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time? You might think of me as a threat.”

Will graham nodded, “Good point.”

There was no reply. So Will Graham told her that he will be going to Hannibal’s office in the morning, and she is advised to come with. Before she could open her mouth, Will Graham already told her the reason. “Because you were awake when I was sleepwalking, If Winston could talk, I’ll bring him instead of you.”

Eve laughed, and curled up on the floor, following Winston’s steps. Will Graham patted her on her shoulders, and went to bed. 

......

They arrived in Dr Lecter’s house in Baltimore, Maryland a few minutes before 6 AM.

He was in the middle of making tea when they arrived. Eve instantly blushed. His hair wasn’t combed, and it flowed as he walked by to take glasses and spoons. Why don’t people face reflect their hearts? Why must he be handsome and so polite and difficult to hate?

“Is it safe to assume that you are not sleepwalking now?” He said as he poured the tea from a little tea dispenser. Eve was standing next to him, awe-ing his breakfast making trinkets.

“I’m sorry it’s so early.” Will Graham replied flatly.

“Never apologise for coming to me.” He replied. He handed the glass of tea to her, and she dropped a spoonful of sugar to the cup, and handed him a little spoon for stirring. “Office hours are for patients, Will. My kitchen is always open for friends.”

He smiled, and stirred the glass as he handed it to Will Graham. “Unsaid, the case of sleepwalking in adulthood is less common than in children.”

“Yeah, could it be a seizure?” Will Graham asked him, doubting his own answer.

Hannibal shrugged, “Or it could be post-traumatic stress.” He poured another cup of tea from the tea dispenser, “Jack Crawford has gotten your hands very dirty.”  
“I wasn’t forced back into the field.”

Eve raised her hand, “Ummm, I think it’s better if I went to the other room.”

Will shook his head, “No. You stay.”

“Okay.” She said, and looked at the floor.

“I wouldn’t say forced. Manipulated would be the word that I’d choose.” Dr Lecter handed her the cup of tea, and grabbed another cup for himself.

“I can handle it.” Will muttered as he stirred his cup of tea.

“Somewhere between denying horrible events and calling them out, lies the truth of psychological trauma.”

Will smacked his lips, “So I can’t handle it?” He widened his eyes and smiled towards Eve, making her held back a giggle.

“Your experience may have overwhelmed ordinary functions that gave you a sense of control.”

“If my body is walking around without my permission, you say that a loss of control?”

“Wouldn’t you?” Hannibal looked directly at Will, and Will looked directly at him, before averting his eyes and looked at her.

“Sleepwalkers demonstrates a difficulty on handling aggression.” Dr Lecter said, putting down his tea and looked directly at Will, as if challenging him. “Are you experiencing difficulty with aggressive feelings?”

Will changed the subject, “You said Jack sees me as a fine China he used for special guests. I’m beginning to feel like an old mug.” He said, and there was a tone of disgust in his voice.

Eve felt out of her element, and that she really¬ shouldn’t be here.

“You entered into a devil’s bargain with Jack Crawford.” Hannibal replied, sipping his tea again. “It takes a toll.”

“Jack isn’t the devil.”

“When it comes on how far he is willing to push you to get what he wants.” He paused, to add dramatic effect, Eve wager, “He is certainly no saint.”

Will Graham looked at her with a funny look, making her look back at him with a confused look. After talking back and forth, Will Graham got a call from work saying he was needed.

Hannibal immediately looked at her, “Would you like some breakfast, Lady Evangeline?”

Will Graham turned around, “Evangeline? You never told me Eve’s short for Evangeline.”

She drank her tea in two large gulps, and she didn’t dare look back at Will Graham.

“Umm, is it allright if Evangeline stayed with you for a couple of hours, Dr Hannibal?” He emphasised her name.

Eve tried giving him some signals that it was a big no-no, but Hannibal accepts. “Of course! You can pick her up whenever you like in my office. I have been searching for a new assistant/secretary for a while.”

“That is not a very good idea I’m afraid. She hates being locked up indoors in a long period of time with nothing to do.” Will walked towards the door, grabbing his coat, “Okay then, I will pick you up back here, when Dr Lecter’s done with work. It’s the least we can do after barging in this early in the morning.”

“Bye, Will. Bring doughnuts!” She faked happiness and smiled at him, although her smile only lasted until Hannibal closed the door.

.......

“Now, Lady Evangeline. What would you like to have for breakfast?” Hannibal asked her as he led her back to the kitchen. She smelt something rotten underneath the fancy smell of potpourri, but she showed nothing of it.

“Anything you’re cooking, Dr Lecter.” She said, as she was sat down on the kitchen stool. Hannibal looked at her with his usual hidden agenda look, and he took out a pan of bacon from the freezer.

“Can you cut fruit?” He smirked, as he handed her a knife.

“Never done it before, but it cant be that different from cutting meat, Dr Lecter. And please call me Eve.” 

“And you may call me Hannibal.”

“Too long. What about Anni?” She said, as she cuts an apple in half.

Hannibal chuckled. “Anni? A very peculiar name, but I accept.” He pointed at the apples that she has just cut, “And that’s quite a handiwork you’ve done on the apples. Are you sure you’ve never done this before?”

She shook her head, and looked at her apples that she has just cut into pieces, and shaped the skin that was left into two points, like the end of a ribbon. She imagined she was shaving the head of the man that has caused the horrible stain on her back.

Hannibal saw the change in her face. “You look unhappy all of a sudden, Eve. What has come through your mind?”

She shook her head again, “The past.”

After her excellent breakfast (Which was French bread, assorted fruits, bacon—Or Pancetta, as Hannibal calls them—and a bowl of porridge with cream), she was told to wait on the living room. Eve got bored immediately, because she was afraid to roam around the house, and it was very quiet. She couldn’t even hear his footsteps, as the floor were all carpeted. She almost rolled off the sofa when she heard Hannibal say, “Now, what activities shall we dive head first to?”

“Whoa, what?” Her heart was beating very fast because she was just caught off guard. Something that even Will Graham can’t do even when she’s asleep. “I thought you were going to work?”

He smiled, “Wednesday is my day off, Eve.”

“But last Wednesday Will Graham was here.”

“That’s because Will Graham is a very special patient.”

“Okay then. I’ll do whatever you want to do, Dr Le—Anni.” She laughed at herself for giving the strict doctor a very girly name.

Hannibal smirked, “What about a dancing?”

She laughed, “You do know that I have lived in the streets for years, yes?”

Hannibal nodded respectfully, and added, “But there is something in your movement that makes me curious. You have dancing in your blood.”

“Ha!” She exclaimed, “Tell that to my late father. He gave up teaching me how to dance, and said ‘Your future husband must have the patience to teach you how to dance.’ To which I replied, ‘but I’m impossible to teach. I shall never marry!’ and then father laughed maniacally and winked, ‘that is the exactly the point.’”

Hannibal raised an eyebrow and smirked, “Shall we try if you are truly unteachable?”

She shrugged. It was the perfect time to step on the man’s toes.

.....

Hannibal puts on a classical music onto his speaker, and she recognised it immediately. ”Chopin. Nocturne in D flar major or something.”

Hannibal nodded slightly, and bowed at her. She was surprised, and then she laughed. She returned the gesture with a curtsy.

2 Hours has passed, and Eve has stepped on Hannibal’s foot for approximately the 40th time. Hannibal had lost his cool an hour ago, but persisted to teach her how to dance. He’s gripping Eve’s hand as tightly as he could without hurting her, and her hands are sore. At first she wouldn’t dare to ask him to stop, but when the bottom of her feet starts to burn, she cant hold it anymore.

“Anni, can we please stop? My legs are very sore.” She pleaded.

Hannibal looked at her for a moment, and the agreed to stop. He gave her a bow, and she curtsied back. Again, he showed a triumphant smile at her. She was very tired, and decided that the sofa is way too far, and she sat on the floor.

Hannibal thought she has fainted, and catched her in his arms.

“Whoa, I’m not fainting. I just wanted to sit on the floor.” She told him.

“No guest of mine shall sit on the floor. You shall sit on the sofa.” He replied, and pointed at the sofa not 2 metres away.

She side eyed him, then groaned. Hannibal closed his eyes for a few moments, and Eve thought he was going to scold her, but when he opened his eyes, he was all smiles. “What about some lunch?”

She nodded, “What are we having?”

“Why don’t you guess with that extraordinary nose of yours?”

They walked into the kitchen, and Eve smelt thawing meat. She couldn’t decide whether it was veal or venison. Hannibal cooked the meat very expertly, and she could only clap and cheer him on like a little kid.

She ducked and was scared for a moment when he let the fire into the pan, creating a big fire inside the frying pan. Her fear trebled, as she realised what meat Hannibal is currently cooking. She pretended that she still couldn’t guess what it was, even when he asked.

Hannibal was a very artistic man. He decorated the plate they were going to eat the meat in with vegetables and garnish. He drizzled some olive oil on top when everything was ready. He set the plate across each other, and pulled the chair for her.

After both of them sit down and ate, Hannibal asked her again what meat they’re eating.

She paused for a long time, before answering “Men.”

Hannibal paused, but then continued eating. “Have you had man on the menu before, Eve?”

Her face hardened, she had momentarily forgotten her dislike of the man and his beautiful but oddly built house. “I think this is my third time.” She answered without looking at him. She wished he would stop asking personal questions. They’ve both eaten men, couldn’t he just agree that they have one thing in common and move on already?

“May I ask where?”

“Somewhere not in America” She said shortly. “What kind of...I mean what are they?”

“I don’t understand your question.”

“Do you sacrifice them? Are you in some sort of cult? Or is this revenge. What are these?” She looked him right in the eyes.

Hannibal smirked a very subtle smirk, and Eve saw a momentary glint in his eyes. “I believe they are rude.”

She was astonished, “Rude as in, rude rude? In which I am being one right now?”

Hannibal was about to put food in his mouth, and he paused halfway. “You are not being rude, Eve. You are being...very understanding.”

It was her turn to raise her eyebrow, “I don’t understand…”

Hannibal stared, “Not all people are as calm as you when finding out about what they are consuming.”

She shrugged, avoiding his eyes again, “Living on the streets with nary any resources around leaves us with very little options.” 

Hannibal clapped, “Spoken like a true poet.” And then as if he had all the information he wanted from her, he changed the subject. “Would you like some dessert, Eve?”

“Cake?” She hoped. She followed Hannibal to the kitchen, and he opened a bottle of beer. He handed her the bottle, and she sat down on the kitchen stool. _This is not dessert_ , she frowned.

“What can you taste?” He asked, while pouring a glass of wine for himself.

“Woods. Seeds. And there’s an iron-ish taste.” She took another gulp of the beer. “Please don’t tell me you put human blood in this.”

He gave her a sly smirk, and then handed her the glass of wine that he just poured for himself.

She dranked the whole glass, because he only poured her a little bit. “Fruits. Maybe an orange? And I don’t think there’s human in this one.”

Hannibal smiled even wider. “Store bought.”

Hannibal told him about his past, where his family all died in war, and he was adopted by his uncle and aunt when he was 16 years old. He also told her that her aunt was a very beautiful Japanese lady, called Lady Murasaki. Before they knew it, it was getting dark.

Eve was getting worried, and asked if she could borrow Hannibal’s house phone.

Will Graham didn’t answer the phone, even though she tried numerous times. She thought he might be busy, so she stopped calling. But before she could even take a step away from the phone, the phone rang. She immediately picked it up, and it was from Will Graham.

“Yes?”

“Will! It’s me!”

“Oh. Eve.”

“Yeah….When are you going to take me home?”

There was silence on the other end.

“Will?”

“....About that, Eve. I don’t think I can make it back. The case in ongoing. I think I can make it back tomorrow.”

“And what am i supposed to do? Have a sleepover or something?”

“Anything works.”

“What if I hitchhiked home or something? I don’t think I feel comfortable. I think I’m bothering Dr Lecter.” She whispered the last part.

“No. You can’t go home. It’s much too dangerous.”

“What about the dogs?”

“They can take care of themselves. You did left them extra food. And I believe you didn’t hide the sack very well.”

She regretted leaving the dogs some extra snack.

Will seemed to be in a hurry, because he asked is everything’s all right with the arrangements, and that he has to go. Being a good ‘sister’, of course she told him that everything was all right. Will Graham promised her doughnuts and a variety of cheesecakes before he hung up.

Eve was surprised to see what has waited for her when she got back in the kitchen.


	6. Angles and Angles

“Ah, Eve. What did Will Graham say?” Hannibal asked her calmly as he was cutting through a large brain. She assumed it was human.

She froze, is this some sort of threat? “Umm he told me that he won’t be able to make it back here today.”

He looked up, “Oh? Will you be needing a ride home?” He asked, whilst cutting the brain into several pieces.

“No. I—is that human?”

He smirked, continued to cut the brain into even smaller pieces. “For breakfast tomorrow. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I—where did that come from?”

Hannibal’s eye flashed dangerously, but he kept a smile on his face. “A very rude man by the name of Jones Arrens.”

_Jones Arrens..... J. Arrens.....Jay Arrens._

“Dr Lecter?”

He looked up, his facial expression giving nothing away.

Eve continued, “How—I—“ She shook her head, “What has this man do, exactly?”

He paused for a moment, giving it a thought, “He have me the finger and then cuts me off when I passed him on the road a few weeks ago. He then forced me to get down from my vehicle. It was extraordinary rude.” He was now seasoning the human brain with spices. “What is the matter?”

“I—im not sure how this could be happening.” She was beginning to feel uncomfortable. “This man that you have umm...killed. Do you have a picture of him?”

Hannibal raised both of his invisible eyebrows. “Sadly i do not, Eve.” He then continue to smirk very wildly. “But i do still keep the rest of his head intact.”

Eve almost fainted when she heard it.

.........................

Hannibal led her through a very dark hallway in the underground part of his home. At first it was a normal basement, but then he did some tricks with the trinkets on top of the shelf, and click goes the cupboard on her left. When it opened, it was just like an ordinary cupboard, with first aid kits inside, but then he pushed it open.

_I fucking knew it. I knew the house's layout felt weird._

Hannibal grabbed 2 flashlights, and gave one to her. Both of them turned the flashlight on, and Eve was quite afraid when Hannibal led the way by holding her hand gently through the pitch dark passage. It was very quiet, and she couldn’t even hear the sound of cars above her. It was like they were in a deep woods far far away from civilisation. Hannibal opened an almost invisible door, even though it was being shone by 2 flashlight lights. Hannibal than took out a very old key, and the door opened with nary a sound. He turned the lights on, and she was quite surprised to see the room was very large, like a warehouse, and it was filled with freezers, varying in sizes. But the smallest one could hold one man, with more room to hold a few of his belongings. He let her hand go, and started to go for the clipboard on the wall. It had very neat handwriting, and he then pointed to the freezer on the left side of the room. He led her to the freezer, and then looked at her in a very serious manner.

“Eve.” He said, as he grabbed the back of her neck with such power, that she was afraid that he would break it.

He continued, “This is the first and last time that you will ever be here. You must be fully aware right now that if I am able to kill these many men and still be at large, and very close with the FBI, my skills are very much unsurpassed. If anyone knows about this place, I would see to it that you will die before an hour had passed.

“I trust you because you seem to have an understanding about what am I doing, even though I myself am not fully sure. Now sponge away from your mind and heart all knowledge of this place after you have gotten what you are after. Are you ready?”

She merely stared wide eyed at him. As afraid as she is now, she wanted to know if the man Hannibal killed is the man she was thinking about.

Hannibal released the grip on the back of her neck, and opened the freezer. It was unlocked, and opened with ease. What she saw next almost made her sick. Eve, who has lived on the streets for years, who has skinned lots of animals, who has gutted each and every one of them, felt her stomach being very queasy. It was a very neat packed freezer. It was divided into three sections, and each section was only divided by thin layer of ice. On the left was his decapitated head, with the top of his skull already hollow, and she can see the insides of his face, and the bottom of the freezer.

On the right (or the middle) there are mutilated bodyparts. Hands, thighs, arms, legs, and feet. All stacked very neatly. And on the very right, the innards. Heart, lungs, pancreas, and the colon. She noticed that the liver is missing. After sinking it all in, she came back to the face. It is the man. It’s the man. It’s the man. The man that did the horrible thing to her back.

She looked at Hannibal, who in turn looked at her, with a mixed expression, and she nodded. He then closed the freezer lid.

“What makes you so interested in that man?” He asked, as they were going back to Hannibal’s ‘upstairs’ home.

She thought about the answer for quite a while, “He... caused me a lot of pain once.”

Hannibal didn’t say anything, and then she remembered something. “Oh I just remembered. Will Graham cannot make it tonight.”

He chuckled, she thought that he is very odd, because he never laughs when he is with Will. When they come out of the dark hallway, she asked him something very silly.  
“Hannibal, do you ever get scared of going through that dark hallway?”

“Do you ever get scared sleeping in the dark streets and dark parks, and or dark woods?”

“I do, but I have Winston with me.”

“Wi—“

“He’s my dog.” She cuts him off.

He smiled, “I believe I have never felt that kind of fear. What am I to be afraid of in my own passageway that I built myself?”

She was in such an awe, that for a moment, Will Graham was completely out of her mind. But after Hannibal gave her a look, she composed herself and closed her mouth. He then led her upstairs, and told her to wait on the upstairs small living room, and went into what she guessed must be his bedroom.

He came out a few minutes later. Bringing her pyjamas. “It’s the smallest that I can find. I hope they fit you well.”

She thanked him, and he directed her to the nearest bathroom. She took a long luxurious shower, trying various soaps that line up in the bathroom shelf. She came out of the glass panelled shower to the sink smelling like a mixture of spices and flowers, but not too fragrant. The pyjama was made out of a very comfortable material, and Eve felt like she could sleep standing up in that pyjama. The pyjama top was quite large, and it drops until her knees. She then tried on the pants, but it couldn’t stay up. So she came out of the bathroom, looking for Hannibal Lecter as she held up the pyjama bottom with her hands.

“Hannibal?”

“Yes? Is something wrong?”

“The pyjama bottom kept falling down. Do you perhaps have one that’s smaller in size?”

“That is the smallest one that I can find, Eve. Would you like some shorts?”

She laughed, “if would love some, but I suppose they are shorts that you also wear as underwear?”

“Yes. By shorts I was talking about boxers.” He then chuckled, “If I may say something, it is quite common for female guests to wear only pyjama tops of the male host.”  
She raised her eyebrow. Rich people are weird. But maybe if she had a warm house she doesn’t have to wear layers and layers of clothes to protect herself from the cold.  
She kept the pyjama bottoms on, and held it up as she walked. Hannibal laughed, and has to admit that she is very petite. 

“How tall are you, Eve?”

She groaned, “As you can see I am short. So I see that question as in insult.”

Hannibal smiled widely, and led her to the guest bedroom. She awed at the guest bedroom, but then muttered something about ‘not wanting to sleep on beds’. Hannibal was not having a good day. He had restrained himself from asking her questions, analysing her, giving her psychological answers like he is used to doing. He had also revealed to someone that he has just met, that he is a cannibal, and has been murdering rude people. He is having trouble thinking when she is around, and he is confused whether to eliminate her, or to be friends with her.

Eve was roaming around the room, obviously very excited about the trinkets and the decor of the room. She touched and picked things up, but put things back exactly how she found them. Hannibal suddenly felt involuntarily paternal, and sat on the bed.

“Find anything interesting?”

She looked away from the little bull-elephant copper statue that was on the shelf, and looked at him, “Everything is interesting. I’ve seen these things in the antique stores in towns, but I never got to touch them.”

“Do you like elephants?”

“I cannot say I don’t, Anni. I haven’t met them yet.”

Hannibal felt a large smile coming to his face. But restrained himself.

“Would you like to meet one?” Hannibal asked

“Nah” She replied shortly, “Animals besides dogs aren’t my thing.”

“Goodnight, Eve.”

....

Eve woke up to hear footsteps coming her way. She groped around for Winston, and jumped up when she doesn’t feel him around. She then remembered she was staying at Hannibal’s house. 

Hannibal entered, “Will just called. He won’t be able to make it today either.”

She groaned as she held her pyjama pants up with her hand, and her head with the other. His floors are much colder than Will Graham’s floor, making it very comfortable for her. She wasn’t ready to wake up.

“Breakfast will be ready in a few, Eve. And I suggest you get ready, because we have work to do today.”

“Work?” She croaked.

“Yes, Eve. You are my secretary now. For the day, at least.” He has an annoying smirk on his face, “I have prepared your work clothes by the bathroom. I have a feeling this one will fit you just fine.”

Winston. Winston had never been separated from her for this long. What if he chewed through the front door and went looking for her? Many scenarios ran through her head and nearly all of them ended with Winston getting hit by automobiles. But she didn’t dare ask this man if she could go home, not after all the ‘kindness’ he had shown her.

“Thankyou.” She nodded. She walked zombie like to the bathroom and got ready. She was still half unconscious, and walked out of the bathroom with her new workclothes. The clothes were very comfortable, but she had difficulty walking in the skirt. She walked downstairs—in a maroon skirt and blazer, with a white fluffy blouse underneath—finding Hannibal cooking breakfast. 

“Breakfast will be ready in just a minute.” He said, as she walked in. How in the name of Hell does he know if she was coming? She came from behind him, she wasn’t wearing shoes, and the floor was carpeted.

“Can I help?”

“No need. I have everything set up already.”

“Okay.” She answered. “Are we having brains? I’ve never eaten a human’s before. I’ve tried cats’ though. They taste frightfully funny.”

Hannibal froze for a moment, and then turned his head ever so slightly, “And what did the cat do to deserve such treatment?”

She shrugged, “A group of people asked me to join them, and i did. I only ate very little, because I wouldn’t want to upset them.”

“Ah” he replied. He then continued to plate the food. It took less than a minute for him to plate them. He hands her the plate. The brain was fried, and she saw some vegetables and a piece of bread with an egg in it. She ate her breakfast with appetite, and it turns out that human brain tastes nothing like cats’, but it could just be Hannibal’s seasoning that made them taste different. When they were out of the door and into Hannibal’s car, he asked her, “Eve? Did you injure yourself?”

“No. Why?”

“You seem to be limping.”

She replied, “I’m not limping. It’s just it’s quite hard to walk in this skirt.”

He looked concerned, but she waved dismissively. Hannibal had to wait for her to get into the car as she was having quite a difficulty, as the skirt seemed to follow the shape of her feet and was quite tight on the knees. In the end she jumped into the car, and then positioned herself.

......

It was lunchtime, and Eve had fallen asleep on her desk. She has done everything imaginable, from reading books, throwing crumpled pieces of paper into the trash, thinking about Winston, drawing, practising her penmanship, worrying about Winston, staring at the ceiling for a long period of time, walking around, trying not to worry about Winston, and do a little stretching.

She saw Hannibal’s agenda, and saw that they had a 2 hour lunch break. So she stacked a few books on the table to make a comfortable cushion for head, and tried to go to sleep. She was in the middle of a very deep sleep when Hannibal woke her up.  
“Eve? Are you alright?” He asked, there was very much concern in his voice.

“Wh—oh. Im fine” She replied as she yawned and stretched, “Just sleepy. Sorry.”

Hannibal helped her to stand up, “It’s quite all right.” he answered with a smile, “Will did say that you hate to be confined in a room for a long period of time.”  
She yawned, “Are we going home already?”

“We are going home for lunch.”

Eve raised her eyebrows, and a thought came to her mind. _This man doesn’t eat anything but humans._

“But your house is quite far, isn’t there a closer place to eat?” She asked, and his answer confirmed her assumption. 

“No. I am very careful about what food that I put in my mouth.” He replied with a sly smirk on his face.

.........

When they came back to the office, Hannibal told her to be quiet, and she knew why. There was someone already waiting in the waiting room. Hannibal looked at his agenda, and saw that it was Mrs Crawford, Jack’s wife. Not wanting to make things awkward, she told him that she could go out the back, and then got into the front, so Mrs Crawford won’t see her and ask questions that would certainly lead to suspicions.

Hannibal didn’t got the chance to answer, as she was already halfway through the door.

It was getting dark, and Eve was worried about Winston and finally, Will’s other dogs. There were two other people coming after Mrs Crawford, and she felt quite sorry for those people. They seem to be coming from wealth, but the look so unhappy. Eve was again practising her penmanship when she smelt something. She looked up to see Will Graham, holding his jacket on one hand, with a single doughnut on the other. 

“Where did you get those?” He asked pointing vaguely at her wardrobe, handing her the jelly filled doughnut.

“Anni gave it to me.” She said with a mouthful.

He snorted, “Anni?”

She nodded repeatedly, “He doesn’t mind.”

Will was about to say something when the door opened. “Ah, you’re here. Please, come in.”

Will motioned for her to come in, and she followed him, but Hannibal stopped her. “You are officially working today, Eve. You can’t come in.”

Will looked at Hannibal for a moment, and then looked at her while shrugging. She sat back down on her chair, the remainder of the jelly filled doughnut remained untouched.  
She didn’t dare listen in on their conversation again, now that she knows that Hannibal has dog ears. She was still wondering how could he heard her coming when she wasn’t wearing shoes on carpeted floors. She ate the rest of her doughnut and waited for them to come out.

..........

As they were driving back to Wolf Trap Virginia, Will told her about a lot of things. He became more vocal, yet his eyes were deader than ever. He told her about his new case, where a man, which he dubs the “angel maker” made angels out of sinned men.

“I’m saying he made them into angels literally and metaphorically. He rips open their back skin and turned them into wings. He then continued to hook the edges of their skin, attached a thin rope on it, and then tied the other end of the rope to the ceiling.”

“Sadist much.” She told him. “Did you find out why he’s doing them?”

“He has a brain tumour, which made him hallucinate. He sees that they are sinners, and then kill them and turn them into angels. He—“ 

She cuts him off, “Will, stop. I feel sick.”

“Sorry, I won’t talk about it anymore.”

“No, I mean I feel sick-sick. Literally. Stop the car.”

Will Graham got out of the car with her, and helped her by rubbing her back as she throws up on the side of the road. Eve was wondering why he suddenly turned very caring, when a few weeks ago he was being cold. When they got back in the car, he asked numerous questions about what she had eaten, drank, and or inhaled.  
“Ssshh. I have a headache. I’ll answer them later.”

Will Graham stayed quiet for the rest of the journey. She asked for him to stop a few more times, and Will Graham felt her temperature. He then drove to the nearest pharmacist and bought her a few medicines. He didn’t utter a single word until they got home.

It was 11.35 PM, and Eve couldn’t sleep. She was kept warm by the space heater, and numerous blankets and sweaters that Will Graham had forced on her. By the lack of sounds of movement on the bed, she assumed that Will Graham couldn’t sleep either. She and Will unknowingly pretended to be sleeping until 1.08 AM, when Eve finally fell asleep.

Eve jolted awake by the sound of footsteps, and she was strangled by the numerous blankets that was on her. She looked to the direction of Will Graham’s bed to see that he was walking towards the window. She calmly got herself free, but lost her mind when Will Graham opened the window. The dogs whined, and Eve was afraid that it would wake Will Graham up. She shushed them, and watched Will Graham. Her heart was pounding so loud that she could’ve sworn her heart moved to her ears. He bended flexibly, got one foot out of the window, and the he was outside.

She tried to follow him, but she couldn’t get out of the window in one smooth movement like Will did, and she was much much smaller than he was. It took her a couple of tries, a prolonged sentence of cursing, and scratches on her legs to follow him outside. She watched him carefully, not wanting to bother him, in case he was having a nightmare.  
She grew increasingly tired and sleepy, and not wanting to risk anything, she sat down on the roof tile, and wrapped herself onto Will’s legs.

...........

It was very early in the morning when Will Graham woke up. It was about an hour of sitting down, and her bum was very sore, she was very cold and her legs are dead. She heard Will Graham woke up when Winston and Mackenzie started barking and howling maniacally. He was shocked to see that he was standing outside, and that something was clutching his legs.

“Wh—“

“You slithered out from the window like a snake, and then stood here to watch the surroundings in the dead of night. I assume you were sleepwalking. Again. I stayed out here with you because I don’t want you to do the walking part. Since we’re on the roof and all.”

“How long have I been standing here?”

“I think an hour or so. It was like a 5 AM darkness when you got out. I think now is... 6-ish”

“Thank you.”

“My legs are dead.” She retorted, in reply to his thank you. “Now go in first, I want lie down so my legs will come back to life.”

Will Graham nodded, and went back into the house with much difficulty. In the end, he couldn’t get back in at all, and stayed outside.

“Are you sure I went through the window to get out here?” He asked her as he sat down next to her. 

She groaned annoyedly, “Very. Now wait 5 minutes, I’ll find us a way down.”

Will Graham couldn’t wait, and he carried her so she was closer to the window. “I’m sorry.”

She was shocked, “Oh no. I know what you’re about to do. I swear to God if you shove me in, I’m going to lock you out.”

“No. I’m sorry I got you sick.”

She was sure she was red in the face. “What, I was sick since yesterday, remember?”

“You weren’t this feverish yesterday.”

“Oh shut up. But do keep hugging, it’s friggin cold out here.”

In the end Eve had to climb into the window, open the front door, and get a ladder from the barn so Will Graham can get down from the roof.

Will Graham left right after he made breakfast. “I need to talk to Hannibal about this. I’ll see you later. Don’t hesitate to call when you feel unbearably ill.”

“By later, you mean sometime today, right?”

“I’ll try.” He sighed. “Get well soon, Eve.”

“Bye Illy.” She said as she waved him goodbye.

Will Graham smiled, and it was the last genuine smile that Eve will ever saw in her life.


	7. Are You Bloody Kidding Me?

“Will? What is on your mind? There seems to be something on your mind. You are very distracted. Do we have to reschedule?” Hannibal suggested, as this was the third time that he has ignored Hannibal completely.

“What? No. I—Eve’s sick.”

“I see. You seem to care for Eve very much. Do you have feelings for her? If you don’t mind my asking. This is quite far from the topic that we have just talked about.”

“I—no. I do have feelings for her, just not the feelings that you meant. I worry for her. She was sick when I brought her home, and still she takes care of me. She was the reason I didn’t fall from the roof. She was sitting down, clutching my legs when I woke up. She told me her legs were numb when I awoke, which means she had been sitting uncomfortably the whole time.”

“If she was there to witness you sleepwalk, why didn’t she stop you?”

He snorted, “She knows I’m having nightmares. She doesn’t want to be standing on the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Hannibal tilted his head a little, smiling slyly, “She is very book smart for someone who has been living in the streets for a long period of time.”

Will unconsciously nodded, his eyes unfocused. “So, doctor. Why are you asking about her all of a sudden?”

Hannibal tilted his head the other way, “No reason. I’m just very curious.”

Will Graham was also curious. But he buried his curiosity deep within him. He doesn’t want to prolong the conversation about Eve. He just wants to go home, to see if she’s okay. Knowing her, she could be coughing blood and still pretend it’s nothing. He checks his watch and saw that he still has 45 minutes before he could go home.

................

Will Graham arrived home bringing Eve a thick sweet corn soup, and she drank the stuff immediately. It seemed that her throat is now burning, and she couldn’t eat anything at home. Will Graham felt her temperature, and she was still warm. He told her to take some meds, and then go to bed.

“When I say you go to bed, I mean go to bed. Sleep on it. Not on the floor.” He told her, and for the very first time, used a stern voice.

She coughed, and then nodded. Will looked around the house to find that Eve had done some cleaning up, and that she has washed the dogs. He shook his head and walked upstairs to scold her. But as he opened the door to his room, he saw her already fast asleep—and to his approval—on the bed. 

He walked to her, and saw that Winston were there with her. She was clutching him, and when Will came closer, he whined. He was desperate to get out of her clutches, probably to pee. So Will lifted her hand that was holding Winston, and then the dog dashed for the door. He smiled, and then laid down on the other side of the bed. This time, he slept without dreaming and sleepwalking. They slept throughout the evening, and Eve was the one to wake up first.

She was annoyed, because what woke her up was a constant buzzing. She looked around and was a little bit confused, because to her it was a different kind of light. Whoa, this is like 8 AM light. Did I slept through the day? Ugh the buzzing is annoying. She looked to her left and saw that Will Graham was sleeping beside her. He looked so peaceful, she didn’t dare woke him up. But because the phone buzzing on the side table was very unbearable, she had to.

“ILLY. HEY. ILLY. WAKE UP. YOUR PHONE’S RINGING. WILL. GRAHAM. SIR. PLEASE. WILL. WAKE UP.” Will Graham’s phone was buzzing like crazy, and Jack Crawford’s name was showing, in big letters. Eve had a coughing fit, and that’s when he woke up.

“Hmm.” He groaned, finally. He searched for his cell phone, then answered with a groan.

“Mm. Okay.” There was a long pause. “Okay.”

Will Graham rubbed his face, and shielded his face from the sunlight. Will Graham’s eyes had bags under them, and the eye bags have eye bags beneath them. He looks terrible. Unlike the first day she saw him, his hair had grown unruly, and he smiles less. Winston has the habit of avoiding him when they’re in the same room together, as if he was sick or something. Eve smelt a weird smell whenever she was around Will Graham, but she never told him. It was like his scent was changing. Even after a shower and or a bath, the weird smell would still linger.

Will Graham rolled over and covered his head with a blanket. She rolled her eyes and grabbed his feet. She started to drag him off the bed, and he groaned, “All right, All right.”  
She was worried about Will Graham. After since the ‘Angel Maker’ incident, he has been very gloomy, and he has been daydreaming very often. He would stare into space, and would only react if there was loud sound. She wouldn’t dare go close to him, afraid that he will accidentally hurt her. It would affect their relationship, and Will would be even gloomier.

He got up afterwards, walking like a zombie to the bathroom. She walked down, making him some toast. She disliked the toaster very much, because no matter how much she prepared for the toast to come out, she would always be scared. The dogs would also jump and bark out of shock whenever the toast pops up. Will Graham likes mulberry jam on his toast, while she preferred marmalade. 

She heard him walking downstairs a few minutes later, and she shoved a few pieces of toast onto his hands. “Thank you.” He mumbled.

It was clear that he doesn’t want to go to this particular job, so she told him “You look like hell, Illy. If I may say so, you’ve been to hell, and you brought something back. I don’t want that something to stay, Illy. I want the old you back. You used to write notes whenever you leave, you would jokingly told me not to eat squirrels, and the thing that I miss the most is your smile. You used to make sarcastic remarks, and then I would make a reply, and then you would smile. I miss that smile. If something is bothering you, I really think you should tell me. That’s what families are for.”

He smiled weakly, and then as he leaned over to hug her, they heard a car coming.

“I guess that’s your ride. Be safe, Illy. And i won’t eat squirrels.”

The smile widened a little, and he snorted, “No weasels either.”

“Oh, and is it all right if I go visit Hannibal?”

“Hannibal?”

She nodded.

He walked to her and felt her forehead. “You’re still warm. I wouldn’t recommend going out."

..................

Eve spent the next few days coughing and shivering, making Will Graham even worried. He called the only person that knows Eve exists, and told him to check up on her whenever he’s not busy.

Hannibal came on Sunday. He was wearing a maroon suit, and a matching waistcoat underneath. Eve must admit he looked very handsome. Maroon is definitely his colour. She opened the door wearing multiple layers of clothes, and her hair was very messy. 

She greeted him with a coughing fit.

Hannibal checked her temperature immediately, “Have you eaten medicine today?”

“Nah, I haven’t been out of bed.” She managed to speak, and she coughed again. She lets him in, and was taken aback by the smell of the box that Hannibal was carrying.  
“Whoa.” She wheezed, “is that what I think it is?”

He looked at her and smiled. She sniffed the air, “Are those non-human food?” She whispered.

Hannibal chuckled, and set the bag he was carrying on the dining room table. “Here, drink this. You will feel much better” He said, handing her a glass bottle.

“Oh thank you. I assume these has a trace of human in it?” She asked jokingly, shaking the pink liquid filled glass bottle on her hands.

He smiled, “You are always correct. That glass bottle contains a human leg. Freshly squeezed this morning.”

She eyed him, “how do one squeeze leg juice?” She the shifted her gaze, “Oh wait, with those arms, I think you do it by hand.”

Hannibal merely smiled. She would do most of the talking, while Hannibal would listen. She thought it must be the age gap, for he is in his 40s, and she’s still in her late 20s. She had already finished the whole bottle, and she felt a little bit better. Her throat felt a little less sore, and then she peeked into the bag that Hannibal brought.

She saw a few small Tupperware boxes, and she looked up at him. “Are we eating this now, or..?”

Hannibal got the boxes out with an amused grin. She saw chicken, soup, vegetables, and eggs. The dogs sniffed the food from upstairs, and they all barked. They’re all beside them a few minutes later, sniffing and begging and wagging their fluffy tails.

She herds them outside, and walked back to the kitchen. She produced 2 bowls from one of the cabinets, and 2 spoons from a drawer. Hannibal sets the bowls down on the kitchen table, and Eve followed him. She sat opposite him, and she attacked the soup immediately.

“Ooohh, Chinese herbs.” She commented. “Chinese meds are the cheapest. They’re the only medicine that I can afford back then. And the Chinese are very nice.”  
Hannibal smiled his usual smile, and both of them finished their soup in silence.

.......

“The opera?” She repeated. Hannibal merely smiled as he looked at her. She was getting quite fond of Hannibal, even though the rest of her brain screams in protest.  
“I’ll ask Will. If I recall correctly, people going to operas must wear extremely nice clothes.” She sighed, and then coughed a few times, “I dont own any of those.”

Hannibal stayed silent, packing the now empty Tupperware boxes. Eve was just about to help him when the house phone rang.

She ran to the living room, and Hannibal could guess that it was Will on the other line.

“Umm, Illy? Hannibal asked me to go to the opera with him when I’m better. Can I go?”

Hannibal closed his eyes and smiled at the innocentness of the question. He couldn’t hear what Will’s answers were, but it sounded positive.

“I’m asking because people that goes to the opera needs nice dresses, and—“ The rest were illegible even to Hannibal’s ears. But Eve came back to the kitchen a few moments later with colours coming back to her face.

Hannibal searched in his pocket, and gave her a bottle of medicine. “Antibiotics. 3 times a day, Eve. And you must finish them even after you’re all better.”

She nodded and thanked him. Hannibal left the house with a wide sly grin on his face.

.........

Will Graham came home that morning bringing Eve a croissant and a hot chocolate from a local coffee shop. He saw her on the sofa covered to the head with a blanket, with Winston on top of her, over the blanket. Winston opened his eyes, watching him cautiously. He saw that as a sign not to bother her, and he sat the croissant and the hot chocolate on the table. He walked upstairs, and came down to the hot chocolate and the croissant still untouched. It was so unlike her. She would usually wake up to the tiniest bit of noise, and to the delicious smell of food. 

He walked towards them, and Winston got off, but still watching him cautiously. He opened the blanket covering her face, and she got one arm over her eyes.  
He whispered, “Eve? Are you feeling better?”

He got no response. He had to shake her to wake her up. She groaned, muttering something illegible. Will Graham felt her temperature, she was still warm. He wanted to take her to the hospital, or at least a competent doctor, but he knows she doesn’t want to. And explaining to the hospital that she doesn’t have any ID would be very problematic.  
She opened her eyes finally, and looked at him. Colours seemed to have come back to her face, but she still looks very ill. She had darkened eye sockets, but her eyes had lost some of the deadness from the first time that he saw her, and that made him smile.

“Whoa Illy, why are you smiling by yourself?” Her voice sounded very raspy. 

“Have you eaten your meds today?” He used his stern voice.

She nodded and tried to sit up, “Anni gave me antibiotics. I think some meds contradict each other or something, so I stopped taking yours.”

She rubbed her eyes, and then she smelt the air. She stopped doing what she was doing, and then looked around. Will smiled as he knows what’s going on in her mind. She looked at the paper cup and the plastic bag in the table and looked at him excitedly.

Will sat down next to her, “Can you smell them?”

“Chocolate milk and buttery bread.” She tried holding her cough.

She smiled her widest smile Will have ever seen her pull, and he couldn’t help himself. He kissed the top of her head and then stood up. “Now. About that dress you were taking about earlier.”

The whole croissant’s gone, and she was watering it down with some hot chocolate. She stared at him.

He raised an eyebrow. “When do you want to buy it?”

She raised her hand, “We don’t have to actually buy then, right? Perhaps we can borrow them o—“ She closed her mouth, embarrassed. 

Will Graham laughed, “Borrow? From who? And say what? Oh hey friend. I need one to go to a ball as a pretty pretty princess so can you lend me a dress or two?”

It was Eve’s turn to laugh. She examined him, “Well, you would be a very beautiful princess. You can borrow one from the beautiful lady that came here a few weeks ago. The one that is very persuasive.”

Will Graham sat back down, “She is very persuasive.”

............

Eve got better as each day passes. She is still weak, but she is back to her normal temperature, and her voice is back to normal. Hannibal called on Saturday to make sure that she was still up to going to the opera with him, and Will told him that he will personally drive her to his house. The opera will be held on Tuesday, in town. 

Eve asked on Monday—very politely—if she could get a haircut, and Will drove her to town.

Will graham held back his laughter as the barber saw Eve’s hair. It was very unruly, and the barber told them that it was the worst case of split ends he had ever saw. The barber told Will to leave the premises for 2 hours, and let him do his magic. When he came back, he saw that her hair was very much shorter, and it looks presentable. It was still a very long way from Alana’s smooth hair, but somehow this kind of hair suits her personality.

They went to look for a dress, and Eve looks as if she was 12 again. She loved every single dress that was thrown at her, and Will enjoyed looking at her desperately trying not to trip on them. At the end, she settled on a knee length dark green dress, and she was very happy about it. Will then had to drag her to the shoes section, and she immediately fell in love with a pair of golden flat shoes. Will Graham made her try on some high heels, and then move back a few steps. She wobbled as she tried to take a few steps, and then she was scared and put the heels back on the shelf. 

Will told her that he has work to do, and that he as to drop her off on Hannibal’s because he couldn’t possibly take her back home again. Hannibal smiled his usual sly smile as she arrived at his office. Hannibal immediately told her to wait in his former secretary’s desk as he finishes today’s paperwork.

…..

Hannibal smiled widely as he saw her in a dress for the first time. They arrived at the opera arm to arm, which made her even red-er in the face. Hannibal has many friends, and all of them asked who she was. He told him that she was his date tonight, and they all giggled. She wasn’t liking all these attention, but Hannibal held her arm with his other hand, making escape impossisble. Once they were seated, Hannibal—who chose to sit in the back—told her that someone is watching them.

“The round man with the brown hair.” She whispered. “Your admirer?”

Hannibal gave her a look of disgust and it looked like he wanted to say something, but the opera building had just gave a signal that the show’s about to start. He held his tongue then stared at the stage. The singer came out, and Eve was completely taken aback by her voice. It was the prettiest and the most captivating thing she had ever heard in her life.  
Once it was over, Hannibal stood up, giving her a standing ovation. She also stood up, and from the corner of her eye she could saw that Hannibal’s ‘admirer’ has also stood up, because Hannibal stood up. She nudged him, and Hannibal nodded ever so slightly. They were escorted to the room next door to get some refreshments and some light snacks.   
Hannibal was immediately being surrounded. They were talking about the dinner party that he was apparently hosting. She imagined that he would serve people to them, and she couldn’t help to imagine his guests’ reactions when they realise if all this time they’d been consuming human flesh.

Once the crowd has diminished, the two men that stared at them earlier came over. It turns out that the un-tall, round-ish person was Hannibal’s patient, called Franklyn Froideveaux. His friend, who was tall and dark, had quite an evil face to him. She doesn’t like him one bit, and she could smell a faint, weird smell from him. Eve left to get some food as they exchange words, so she could get away from them. Franklin is very annoying.

She came back a while later, after sampling most of the foods that were provided. They tasted like nothing. She wished she was dumpster diving near restaurants again. On her way back, she tripped on a cable that was laid across the room. She fell towards a waiter that was handing out champagne, and the whole tray went flying. She cuts her forearm, and it bled quite badly. Hannibal immediately came to her rescue, ripping out a piece of cloth that he snatched from the table, and he pressured it onto the wound. She winced in pain, and lets out a scream.

“There’s still glass in there!” She yelped.

Hannibal helped her up, and led her outside to his car. 

“I’ll get you to the nearest hospital.”

She shook her head, “No. I don’t need them. Just get me drunk and take them out yourself. Or a vet, take me to a vet.” She gasped.

Hannibal nodded, and drove her home. He couldn’t help but to notice that her blood smell is different from others. He almost felt compelled to have a taste. A plan hatched in Hannibal’s mind, and he knows exactly how to execute it.

“Eve?”

“Hmm?” He saw her reply with her eyes unfocused. 

“Your family’s aristocracy was hereditary, wasn’t it?”

Eve had trouble focusing her thought. She was writhing in pain, so she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. The truth. “Yes. Father was Marquess of Dufferin and Ava.”

Hannibal smirked, he knew who he was going to serve on the dinner party.


	8. The End

Eve felt relaxed. She looked at Hannibal next to her, and at the same time she saw stars. She felt very sleepy, and she told this to Hannibal. He immediately told her not to, and that she should just fight the sleepiness. He gave her a piece of gum, and told her to chew on it.

“This thing is sweet, it won’t work. Talk to me, Hannibal. Tell me a story, anything.” She told him, sleepily.

He told her about the one thing that he has never told anyone. His sister. She told her how their parents were killed by an explosion induced by a German Stuka, as a Soviet tank stopped at their hunting lodge in the woods as they were looking for water. He and his sister survived, and they continued living in the cottage barn, along with a few others, until a group of militia men storms in, looking for valuables. They killed the adults, afraid that they would retaliate. The children were kept, with nary any food to keep them alive. 

He remembered, as it had happened yesterday, that 2 children died out of cold, and a militiamen took them away. The children were brought food every few days, and then another one dies. He remembered, it was Augusta. He was a fat child when they first met, and shortly before his death, he was just skin and bones.

The Militiamen were also short of food supplies. He would peek through the barn’s wooden walls, and saw they would be angry, swearing at each other, coming back from a hunt with their hands empty. Last time they came back with a scrawny little doe, and now it too, has gone. Hannibal’s expression grew tired and dark, as he continues the story. One day, the militiamen came to the barn, taking a child with them.

'We are going to give you food, and to play.' they said. But the child they took never come back. They take another one, a few days later. Hannibal knew what they were doing. They were eating them. He saw the bones they took out in the dark of night, thinking that no one can see them. But he did. He saw everything. They placed the bones in a sack, and bury them in the woods. He saw the bones they were carrying. They were picked clean of flesh.

Hannibal had an idea. He told the kids that had happened to their friends, and they were scared. So he devised a plan, to hide as best they could. So the militiamen would think they had escaped, and they would leave he barn door unlocked as they went out. He admits that that was a very idiotic plan, but he was 8 years old, and that was the best plan that he could come up with. And besides, the others have agreed.

They heard the barn door being unlocked, and they were ready. The militiamen laughed, and Hannibal felt foolish in an instant. They were adults! Militiamen! Army men! They had been in battle for so long, how they could be fooled by a little kids’ petty plans. They searched for them in the haystacks, and they found him first. He had always been bad at hide and seek, he told her.

Eve felt her head pounding, she felt sick, as Hannibal told the story in a very detailed manner. How they felt his legs, his chest, how he can see them, and smelt their stinking breaths. The breaths of the men that has eaten his friends. But instead of choosing him, they took his sister. They took his beloved Mischa. He held on so tight that he too had been dragged out of his hiding place. The men didn’t take that so well, not wanting to waste energy to make him let go, they simply smashed the barn door at his upper arm. Breaking them. He still have the marks they left him, and he will never forget how much it hurts. But he must admit, the aching in his heart that occurs hurts much more than the physical pain they caused him.

He then told the gruesome detail about what they did to her in the lodge. Mischa was a very pretty little girl, and they did things to her. Things he did not understand back then. But growing older, it all makes sense, and it just made killing them easier. Eve felt her head very light, and she doesn’t want to listen to this anymore. She knows what shall happen to the listener of secrets. They die.

But Hannibal Lecter continued telling the story, ignoring Eve’s protests. Her head had gone from being light, to being unbearably heavy. The blood from her arm stained her beautiful green dress, turning it brown.

Hannibal carried her to the living room as soon as they arrived. He took out a first aid kit and then bandaged her wounds. He then gave her a full course meal, and she felt better, although still weak. He gave her some antibiotics.

She suddenly felt better, extremely better to be exact. When she realised what Hannibal had gave her, it was too late. She had already been too weak to fight back. She sat up and tried to stand, but she was too weak, and she fell of the couch. Hannibal looked at her sadly, and helped her up. He embraced her softly, and she didn’t have the strength to pull away. Hannibal puts his left hand behind her head, and he whispered, 

“I’m sorry things had to end this way, Evangeline.”

She groaned, “Then why does it have to end?!” She tried her hardest to push him away, but he was just too strong. She gave up, because she knows that she couldn’t do anything at this point. The drugs that he gave her had taken full effect, and she felt weaker with each minute that passed.

“I’ve made a mistake. I’ve trusted someone too much. You’ve known too much, and you’ve become a liability.”

She sighed, “Come on, I'm a few years shy of my thirtieth's birthday, don’t kill m—oh fuck this. I’m gonna be served at that dinner party, aren’t I?”

Hannibal didn’t smile. He just stared at her, as if he was now confused whether to kill her or not. But she knows that he isn’t. Hannibal isn’t the type of person who gets second thoughts. Hannibal pulled her hair gently, so that her face was facing his. She frowned and tilted her head to the right. Hannibal examined her closely, and she did the same. His expression was unreadable; she thought it was mixture of loneliness, pride, hungriness, and regret.

It was getting hard to think, so she blurted out anything that was on her mind. “I see regret in your face. Why?”

Hannibal closed his eyes and sighed, but then he opened his eyes, and leaned in closer. He kissed her forehead, then puts both of his hands on her cheeks, and Eve knew she was going to meet her end. She whispered, “See you in hell, Hannibal Lecter.”

“I’m sorry, meilė.”

He pulls away, and Eve winced, bracing for anything he was about to do. He snapped her neck in a single strike, and catches her in his arms. She was too valuable to be dragged down like the rest of the others to his secret chamber, so he carried her. Hannibal laid her onto a table, strips her from her clothes, and—as he apologised to her for the last time—took out a scalpel from the drawer below, and made a Y incision as if he was about to examine her.

He smiled as he saw most of her organs are in excellent shape. Her lungs are misshapen and a little blackened, it seemed like she hung out around smokers at one point in her life. Her liver is in a very nice condition, as he guessed she never got drunk. The rest of her organs are very well taken care of, making him smile even wider. His sincere smile turned into a smirk as he saw all of the beautiful dishes that he is going to make with her. His smirk widened, remembering the joke he had thought of the day before.  
Hannibal then took her organs back upstairs, as he stored the rest of her body in the freezer at the end of the room. After sealing the chamber door, he went back upstairs to prepare for the dinner party. To his surprise, he got a call from Will Graham.

He took a deep breath, and then answered like he had just been running. “Will.” He panted.

“Hannibal? Eve hasn't gone home yet. What happened?”

“She ran away, Will. She met someone in the opera, and the person recognised her. She immediately ran. I have been looking for her ever since. I went home, thinking that she could be here, but I was wrong.” He explained, making his voice sound worried and genuinely concerned. He imagined the scenario really happened.  
Will sounded frustrated and upset, “Why didn’t you call me?”

“I’m sorry, my mind didn’t go there. She was my responsibility.” He sounded very disappointed in himself. “I’m terribly sorry, Will.”

Will Graham raised his voice, the first time Hannibal had ever heard him, “So now what? You’re just going to do nothing? What about the person that recognised her? I assumed it was a man. Didn’t you question him?” Will Graham snarled, “If you’re not going to question him, I will.”

Hannibal raised an eyebrow. “I don’t want to attract attention, Will. The man that recognised her was quite an important man. The kind that has diplomatic immunity.” Hannibal continued, “I was concerned for Eve’s safety. Physical and mental. I knew if I asked the man some questions, I would raise suspicions, and men would be ordered to follow me. I was afraid that she couldn’t go home.”

Will Graham stayed quiet for a long time. “I—I’m sorry I raised my voice earlier.”

Hannibal smiled, “It’s all right Will. I am sure that she will go home sooner or later. In the mean time we can only wait patiently.”

“Yeah.” Will replied, and then he hung up.

Hannibal waited a few seconds before hanging up, and then moving to the kitchen to see what he shall do with the organs he has just harvested. He was extremely happy about them, and he wants everything to be perfect. He is cooking a very important person, after all.

.........

Hannibal Lecter frowned as he looked down on his plate. The taste was all wrong. Something just didn’t add up. He used the best meat there is, how could it taste odd? He then tried cooking the meat with just salt and pepper, and it tasted heavenly. He looked at his plate, and he concluded that his main dish was supposed to be plain. No recipes, no spices and herbs that will disrupt the taste of the royal meat. He smiled, thinking what will people say upon tasting his main dish. His ‘Royal Entree’ as he liked to call it. Will they realise that it is the best meat there is? How much it costs? He smiled upon the thought, and he relished the remainder of his dish. 

Will Graham couldn’t sleep that night, he thought something horrible had happened to Eve. Winston wouldn’t get close to him, and the dog is currently howling outside. The dog would not go inside, no matter what. Will has tried pulling, yanking, pushing, and even tempt the mutt with different foods. Will rolled in his bed, trying not to think off all the horrible things that could happen to Eve. He thought about the possibility of the man that recognised her called her parents, and she is being sent home to England as he thought of this. But he shook his head, if she could stay hidden all these years, there is no way that this one encounter would get her deported. He fell asleep at last, and the Raven feathered stag came in his dreams. 

Will woke up that night with both his hands on the window. He was very confused, as to why his hands were on the window, but then he saw it. An envelope, with his name on it, written in Eve’s handwriting, being stuck on the other side of the window with a piece of gum.

The letter reads, 

_Will,_  
I’m back in hiding. By some great misfortune i have met mother’s old friend in the opera. i trust you are all right without me. Please forgive me if i have done you wrong in anyway, and i must tell you that i am already far away as you are reading this letter. i love you, Will Graham.  
Eve. 

Will felt something wrong. She didn’t mention anything about Winston, and the word placements was somehow odd. It lacked emotions, as if written by a man. He grew increasingly suspicious as he re-read the letter. Why would Eve write ‘I love you’? But before he could think of anything else, his phone rang.   
The phone rang startled him, and he picked it up after his heart rate has come back to normal. It was Jack. He was told to get ready, because there’s been a horrendous murder in a motel, which might be the doing of the Chesapeake Ripper.

Will Graham set the letter down, and got ready. He sets her to her back of his mind as he got ready, and started to think about the case that he’s about to have. He couldn’t do that though, his mind kept going back to Eve. He is now extremely worried, and he couldn’t tell anyone, that would just make everything worse. Hannibal is the only person he could talk to, but right now he suspects Hannibal has something to do with her disappearance, but he doesn’t have the motive, cause, and proof that he did.   
Will had the chance to talk to Hannibal on the next night. He brought Eve’s letter, and showed it to him before he sat down. Hannibal read the letter with nary any expression on his face.

“I am very sorry that this happened while she was with me, Will. I never thought someone would recognise her in the opera house.” Hannibal stated.

Will rubbed his temples. “The letter was forged. She’s either kidnapped, or murdered. But I can’t do anything in fear of complicating things.”

“What makes you so sure that this letter was forged?” Hannibal asked, he is now sitting on his usual chair, opposite him. 

He scoffed, “She didn’t mention Winston.”

“Winston? Her dog?” Hannibal asked.

“Yeah. She never told stories about him? She loves him very much, and knowing her, it’s highly unlikely if she forgot to mention him in the letter.”

Hannibal nodded. “So what are we to do? We can’t conduct a search in this situation. And I think murder is highly unlikely.”

“Why?” Will asked, he looked at Hannibal right in the eyes.

“Because I saw what she’s capable of. She wouldn’t be murdered or captured that easily. She has told me that she lived in the streets for years, now.”

“It’s weird that she told you that, but never told stories about Winston.” Will said, as his eyes wondered the room.

A smirk formed on Hannibal’s lips, “Do I detect a subtle accusation, Will?”

Will shrugged, “Well, she was kidnapped and or murdered while she was with you. I’m not implying anything, just....curious.”

Hannibal sat up a little straighter, “She did told me once, about not being afraid of sleeping in parks and dark places because Winston accompanies her, but that is all.”

Will buried his face in his arms, “This is very depressing. We can’t question the man that recognised her, we can’t go to the police, and we can’t do anything.”

Hannibal drew a deep breath, “We could, you know, do both things.”

Will shook his head. “If she was still alive, she would be terribly mad. She told me her brother works for the Interpol, and is searching for her. That’s why she wouldn’t want to be taken to the hospital or find work.”

Hannibal nodded, “Yes. I remember she told me that she doesn’t want to work for me because she doesn’t want her name to be on any database. She also refused—quite strongly if I may say so—when I wanted to take her to the hospital when she was sick.”

Will sighed, “I just felt so responsible for everything. I don’t know is she’s deported, kidnapped, murdered, hiding, or dead.”

“Let’s just hope she’s alright. May I suggest hiring a private investigator?”

Will laughed, “That’s a very good idea, although there is a slight chance that there will be a funeral for the private investigator in the coming days.”

“Has Eve killed before?”

Will nodded, “Yes. I don’t know whether she has only killed one, or the one that she told me about was one of many.”

“Was the burnt marks on her back an aftermath of the murder?”

Will raised an eyebrow, “She showed you?” He asked, disbelievingly.

Hannibal slightly shook his head, “We hugged, and I felt something odd on her back. She then saw the changes in my expressions, and told me that she has huge third degree burn marks on her back.” 

“Oh.”

“I felt responsible for her disappearance, Will. If I hadn’t ask her to the opera, then all of this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Nah, it was a mere coincidence. But thank you for the sympathy.”

“What do you suggest we do?”

“You’re my psychiatrist. You tell me.”

“Am I your psychiatrist, or are we simply having conversations?”

“Yes. I think is the answer to that.” Will replied. He has a feeling that Hannibal doesn’t want to talk about Eve any longer. “About Eve.”

“Yes?”

Will was getting very concerned, “Should I just forget about her, and move on?”

Hannibal’s eyes widened, “I don’t know about you, Will. But I find her extremely hard to forget. She has left a huge impression in my mind, and in my refrigerator.”

“Your refrigerator?”

Hannibal smirked, “Yes. She has a very keen nose.”

Will smiled, remembering that she could always guess what he was bringing home. Her enthusiasm for food was unsurpassed. “Yes, yes she has.”

..............

Will Left Hannibal’s office with a very heavy heart. Both of them have concluded that there is nothing more they could do to find her. Everything they do would be suspicious in the FBI agents’ eyes, and sooner or later they will ask questions. Questions leads to searches, and that’s the last thing that Eve would want. The Interpol would intervene, and there will be more questions asked, and a physical search would be done. 

Will finds Winston and Leia sobbing on top of Eve’s blanket on the floor of his bedroom. His heart sank, knowing that if those dogs are crying, the worst has happened. He lied on the floor, clutching her blanket while the dogs sobbed next to him. Will Graham teared up as soon as Winston howled. He can somehow notice the difference between his usual howl and this one. This one was deep and depressing and heart breaking, as if he’s acknowledging that his beloved master has passed. Little Leia got closer to him, and rubbed her little head on the blanket, and then slept there. Will Graham cried himself to sleep.

At the same time, Hannibal ripped up a business card from his organiser, and drove away.

Hannibal became worried when Will Graham didn’t show up for their next meeting. Will’s appointment was 7.30 PM, and now it was 7.50 PM. He wanted to call Will, but decided not to. He drove to FBI headquarters, and walked in on Will in his classroom, his eyes open, but it was clear that he wasn’t present. He called out, but he didn’t respond. Will responded a few minutes later, obviously very confused. Will asked for time, and he told him that it was nearly 9 o’clock. Will looked even more beat up than usual.  
“I felt like I was asleep. I need to stop sleeping altogether.” He sighed, “Best way to avoid bad dreams.”

Hannibal looked over to the stack of crime scene photos across the table. “Well I can see why you have bad dreams.”

...........

Hannibal went home to finish preparing his dishes for the dinner party. He had already gotten all his materials from 4 different people, and his dishes are all complete. His dinner party is in two days, and he is wondering if Will Graham will come. He opened his freezer, revealing vast arrays of organs he had harvested. He smiled, thinking Will Graham will consume his beloved Eve if he decided to come to the dinner party. He closed the freezer, thinking of how he would react if he had known the truth.

Hannibal Lecter had kept his mind on getting rid of Eve since the very beginning. He had observed her. Will Graham had changed when she arrived, and he continued to change for a few weeks. He doesn’t like the change. Hannibal felt relieved when Will had come back to his senses, and became who he was before she had arrived. He had hesitated to kill her the first time he had the chance because she shared similarities with him. She had an acute sense of smell, she has tasted human flesh, and she is very smart, but unlike Miriam Lass, she doesn’t like to investigate further. 

She was curious, but after knowing the truth, she stops. She leaves them be. Hannibal smiled, remembering the first time she met him. Hannibal had very little regret upon killing her. She was getting too close to his ‘person suit’ or ‘human veil’ as Dr Bedelia had told him earlier. He can feel her getting closer to him, and he was being open. He shook his head, she didn’t get close to his ‘human veil’, she had crossed it.

Hannibal then frowned, upon thinking how fast she could come through, something that no one has ever done.

..........

It was the day of the dinner party. He was getting his sweet sauce ready when Will stopped by with a bottle of Wine. He knows what this means. He will not come.

“Are you sure you can’t stay?” He asked as he ladled the meat sauce into a pot.

“I won’t be good company” Will answered. Hannibal felt the disappointment all over him, but he regained himself quickly.

“I disagree.” He said, and Will looked at him, confused. “But, before you go, what became of Mr Sylvester’s donor?”

“You saved his life” Will said, he used an I-can’t-believe-you’re-asking-these-kinds-of-questions tone.

Hannibal paused, “It’s been a long time since I used a scalpel on anything but a pencil” He said, knowing this was a lie; he just used his pencil sharpening scalpel on Eve just the other day.

Will looked at him, “Why’d you stop being a surgeon?”

“I killed someone” he told him. “Or more accurately, I couldn’t save someone. But it felt like killing him.”

“You were an emergency room surgeon; it has to happen from time to time.”

“it happened one time to many.” He said as he poured the remaining meat sauce onto the food processor. ”I transferred my passion for anatomy to the culinary arts. I fix minds instead of bodies, and no one’s died as a result of my therapy.”

Will chuckled, “I have to go.” he said, as he set the wine bottle in front of him, “I have a date with the Chesapeake Ripper.”

Hannibal smiled, “Oh? Is that Ripper’s—“

“Adam Sylvester was harvesting organs, but not with the Ripper, there was no connection between them.”

Hannibal’s heart leapt up, he was getting closer. “Jack must be devastated.” he replied.

“I imagine he is.” Will said, with a deep tone that made Hannibal look up from his cooking. They exchange looks, and then he continued, “Enjoy the wine.”

“Thank you” Replied Hannibal, as he watched Will until he couldn’t see him anymore.

...........

He smiled as all of his guests clapped for him. He raised his hand, “Before we begin, you must all be warned. Nothing here is vegetarian.” He waited for their laughter, and then he grinned, “Enjoy the Royal Entrée. Bon appétit.”


End file.
